‘Action potential-like’ ST elevation following pseudo-Wellens' electrocardiogram

Abstract

Coronary artery vasospasm is an important cause of chest pain syndromes that can lead to myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden death. In 1959, Prinzmetal et al described a syndrome of nonexertional chest pain with ST-segment elevation on electrocardiography. Persistent angina is challenging, and repeated coronary angioplasty may be required in this syndrome. Calcium antagonists are extremely effective in treating and preventing coronary spasm, and may provide long-lasting relief for the patient. Whereas the Wellens' syndrome is characterized by symmetrically inverted T-waves with preserved R waves in the precordial leads suggestive of impending myocardial infarction due to a critical proximal left anterior descending stenosis, the pseudo-Wellens' syndrome caused by coronary artery spasm has also rarely been reported in literature. We present a pseudo-Wellens syndrome as a cause of vasospastic angina, and a diffuse ST segment elavation on electrocardiogram resembling the Greek letter lambda, called also 'action potential-like' ECG in a patient with vasospastic-type Printzmetal angina.

Keywords

• Vasospastic angina
• ST segment elevation
• Wellens' syndrome