Acute myocardial infarction attributed to coronary artery embolism in a patient with atrial fibrillation secondary to thyrotoxicosis - An underrecognized entity: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Nonatherosclerotic causes of acute myocardial infarction (MI) are infrequent, with atrial fibrillation as the most common etiology in cases of embolic MI. This entity, however, along with other causes of coronary embolus remains underappreciated as a probable cause of acute coronary syndromes.[1] Our case delineates a rare presentation of STEMI due to cardioembolic origin secondary to atrial fibrillation in a patient with thyrotoxicosis, previously undiagnosed to have an abnormal cardiac rhythm.

Keywords

• atrial fibrillation
• coronary artery embolism
• myocardial infarction
• percutaneous coronary intervention
• thyrotoxicosis