Difficult management of a patient presenting with recurrent syncope caused by diffuse vasospasm

Abstract

Spontaneous and simultaneous multivessel coronary artery spasm may present with multisite myocardial ischemia, atrioventricular block, acute lung edema, cardiogenic shock, or ventricular fibrillation. In a case of syncope caused by vasospasm, the underlying mechanism may be complex, such as atrioventricular block and/or ventricular arrhythmia. Dual implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement should be considered along with optimal medical treatment. This report is a description of a 57-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital with chest pain followed by loss of consciousness. As the patient had bradycardia, a diffuse spasm, and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia during ischemic episodes, a dual ICD device was implanted. ICD treatment may be a good option in cases with a diffuse spasm that is hard to control with medical treatment due to the risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia.

Keywords

• complete atrioventrikuler block
• syncope; vasospasm.