Sudden cardiac arrest due to coronary vasospasm in a patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome during brain surgery: a case report

BACKGROUND: Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome has the risk of sudden cardiac death. Without appropriate treatment, coronary vasospasm is also a potentially fatal condition due to ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation. A rare case of cardiac arrest due to coronary vasospasm during general anesthesia in a patient with pre-existing WPW syndrome is presented. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old man was scheduled for brain surgery under general anesthesia. During surgery, the ECG monitor showed ST segment elevation followed by sustained ventricular tachycardia and the patient’s blood pressure was unmeasurable. Since pseudo-VT with WPW syndrome was suspected, pilsicainide was administered. A few weeks later, a spasm provocation test with acetylcholine was performed, which showed complete spastic occlusion of the right coronary artery. CONCLUSIONS: A rare case of cardiac arrest during surgery in a patient with WPW syndrome, possibly caused by coronary vasospasm, was described.