Early right coronary vasospasm presenting with malignant arrhythmias in a heart transplantation recipient without allograft vasculopathy

Int J Cardiol. 2009 Jan 24;131(3):e120-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2007.07.078. Epub 2007 Oct 24.

Abstract

In heart transplant recipients, the aetiology of coronary vasospasm is largely unknown but it has been reported to be related to coronary vasculopathy or allograft rejection. We report a case of acute, reversible coronary vasospasm which caused malignant arrhythmias in a cardiac transplant recipient one month after transplantation without evidence of coronary vasculopathy or allograft rejection. The patient had a normal post-operative course with no other complications; this case supports the hypothesis that coronary vasospasm is not necessarily related to epicardial coronary artery disease or allograft rejection, but rather may be due to an abnormal reversible vasoreactivity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / etiology*
  • Atrial Fibrillation / etiology
  • Atrioventricular Block / etiology
  • Cardiac Catheterization
  • Coronary Vasospasm / complications*
  • Coronary Vasospasm / etiology*
  • Female
  • Graft Survival*
  • Heart Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / etiology
  • Transplantation, Homologous