1. Uncommon cause of a common disease.
- Author
-
Iskandar SB, Dittus K, and Merrick D
- Subjects
- Acute Disease, Adult, Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial epidemiology, Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial genetics, Diagnosis, Differential, Diagnostic Errors, Echocardiography, Electrocardiography, Exercise Test, Humans, Incidence, Japan epidemiology, Male, Myocardial Infarction drug therapy, United States epidemiology, Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial complications, Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial diagnosis, Chest Pain etiology, Myocardial Infarction diagnosis
- Abstract
Myocardial infarction is a common life-threatening condition. Multiple agents can be used to treat acute coronary syndrome (ACS). These therapeutic agents pose potential life-threatening complications when used outside the realm of the acute coronary syndrome. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited cardiac disorder, occurring in 1 in 500 individuals, which may mimic ACS. The hypertrophy most typically involves the septum in patients with HCM. As many as 25% of Japanese patients with HCM have predominately apical involvement. Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHC) occurs in only 1 to 2% of the non-Japanese population. Despite its low incidence, physicians caring for patients with chest pain need to consider AHC in their differential diagnosis. We present the case of a patient with chest pain and electrocardiographic changes suggestive of ACS who was later found to have AHC.
- Published
- 2003
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