The Importance of Defining the Coronary Anatomy in Suspected Myopericarditis: A Case Report

Patient: Male, 36-year-old Final Diagnosis: NSTEMI Symptoms: Chest discomfort Medication:— Clinical Procedure: Coronary angiogram via trans radial route Specialty: Cardiology • General and Internal Medicine OBJECTIVE: Unusual clinical course BACKGROUND: It is challenging to distinguish between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and myocardial injury due to alternative causes (eg myopericarditis, coronary vasospasm, and pulmonary embolism), as they often share similar presentations, especially in young patients. Coronary computerized tomography angiography (CCTA) is increasingly recognized as a fast and safe diagnostic tool for rapid assessment of the coronary anatomy among patients with a low to intermediate cardiovascular risk profile and/or atypical chest pain. However, its utility among patients with possible ACS is still debated. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old man presented to our institution with intermittent pleuritic chest pain and malaise over the preceding 7 days. He was a smoker and his father had ACS at the age of 45 years. The patient had unspecific electrocardiographic changes and elevated troponin values. The initial transthoracic echocardiogram indicated a normal ejection fraction without any wall motion abnormalities. Presuming a very low chance of coronary artery disease due to his age and atypical symptoms, we ordered a CCTA, which identified a thrombotic lesion in the right coronary artery (RCA). An invasive coronary angiography, including an optical coherence tomography, confirmed the presence of a thrombotic lesion located at the level of the proximal RCA, which was consequently treated with 1 drug-eluting stent. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should always eliminate underlying coronary artery disease among patients with unclear myocardial injury, irrespective of a patient’s presentation, age, and estimated cardiovascular risk. In this context, CCTA represents a safe and simple tool to rapidly assess the coronary anatomy, especially in younger patients.