Girl Who Cried Wolf: A Case of Prinzmetal Angina With Related ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Prinzmetal variant angina is characterized by episodic chest pain associated with transient ST changes seen on an electrocardiogram (EKG). A 51-year-old female with a pertinent history of non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) twice, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), Prinzmetal angina, ventricular tachycardia s/p implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement, and gastroesophageal reflux disease presented with 2.5 hours of left-sided chest pain with radiation to the left arm. Her initial EKG was not revealing. However, a subsequent EKG showed ST elevations in the inferior leads. A coronary angiogram was performed and revealed distal right coronary artery spasm that was relieved with intracoronary nitroglycerin. The nature of her chest pain in conjunction with her EKG and angiogram findings helped diagnose her with Prinzmetal angina that was significant enough to result in a STEMI. Thus, Prinzmetal angina and STEMI can be interconnected rather than being separate, mutually exclusive pathologies.