Dynamicity of J waves during coronary intervention and angiography in a patient with non-Q inferior myocardial infarction

Abstract

Slurs or notches at the terminal portion of the QRS complexes are called J waves, which may be associated with myocardial ischemia. We describe our experience with a case of a patient with acute inferior myocardial infarction in whom J waves were observed in the inferior leads with ST-segment elevation. The coronary artery was completely occluded, and during percutaneous intervention, ST-segment elevation was normalized first, followed by the disappearance of the J waves after full revascularization. On follow-up coronary angiography (CAG), the J waves in the inferior leads reappeared during the right CAG. The J waves were associated with an alteration of the electrical axis. J waves developing in association with myocardial ischemia seemed to be more sensitive to ischemia and might represent a depolarization abnormality.

Keywords

• J waves
• Coronary intervention
• Myocardial ischemia