Intractable coronary fibromuscular dysplasia leading to end‐stage heart failure and fatal heart transplantation

Abstract

Abstract Coronary fibromuscular dysplasia is uncommon, and even rarer its unstable and recurrent course. We present the unique case of a 52‐year‐old woman who underwent in total 12 coronary angiographies and three percutaneous coronary intervention within 24 months because of repetitive acute coronary syndromes due to refractory spasm, dissection, restenosis all leading to end‐stage heart failure, and heart transplantation. The patient died 12 days after the heart transplantation complicated by intraoperative acute thrombotic occlusion of left anterior descending artery of the graft despite normal pretransplant coronary angiography. Autopsy of the recipient heart confirmed coronary fibromuscular dysplasia with massive intimal hyperplasia and restenosis.

Keywords

• Coronary fibromuscular dysplasia
• Orthotopic heart transplantation
• Refractory coronary artery spasm
• Coronary artery dissection