Journal List > Korean J Leg Med > v.41(1) > 1088011

Kim: Pregnancy-Related Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Case Report

Abstract

Pregnancy-related acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is very rare and can be lethal if the diagnosis and management are delayed. The physiological changes during pregnancy, including in hemodynamics and hormonal status, can increase the risk of AMI even in young women. While atherosclerosis is the leading cause of AMI in the general population, coronary artery dissection is most common in pregnancy-related AMI. Pregnancy-related AMI, which is caused by coronary atherosclerosis, has been rarely reported in Korea. We report an autopsy case of postpartum sudden cardiac death in a 32-year-old woman.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Serial sections of left anterior descending coronary artery show marked atherosclerosis with more than 85% luminal narrowing. Thrombus is not noted in the lumen.

kjlm-41-20-g001
Fig. 2

Myocardium is pale, but acute necrosis or fibrous scar is not seen. The myocardial wall is not thickened (thickness; left ventricle 1 cm, interventricular septum 1.1 cm, right ventricle 0.4 cm).

kjlm-41-20-g002

Notes

Conflicts of Interest No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

References

1. Roth A, Elkayam U. Acute myocardial infarction associated with pregnancy. Ann Intern Med. 1996; 125:751–762.
2. Ladner HE, Danielsen B, Gilbert WM. Acute myocardial infarction in pregnancy and the puerperium: a population-based study. Obstet Gynecol. 2005; 105:480–484.
3. Elkayam U, Jalnapurkar S, Barakkat MN, et al. Pregnancy-associated acute myocardial infarction: a review of contemporary experience in 150 cases between 2006 and 2011. Circulation. 2014; 129:1695–1702.
4. Satoh H, Sano M, Suwa K, et al. Pregnancy-related acute myocardial infarction in Japan: a review of epidemiology, etiology and treatment from case reports. Circ J. 2013; 77:725–733.
5. Herbst J, Winskog C, Byard RW. Cardiovascular conditions and the evaluation of the heart in pregnancy-associated autopsies. J Forensic Sci. 2010; 55:1528–1533.
6. Badui E, Enciso R. Acute myocardial infarction during pregnancy and puerperium: a review. Angiology. 1996; 47:739–756.
7. Bezgin T, Gecmen C, Erden I, et al. Pregnancy-associated myocardial infarction: case report and review of the literature. Herz. 2014; 39:530–533.
8. De Vuyst E, Preumont N, Renard M. Acute myocardial infarction in early postpartum. Acta Cardiol. 2012; 67:465–467.
9. Russi G. Severe dyslipidemia in pregnancy: the role of therapeutic apheresis. Transfus Apher Sci. 2015; 53:283–287.
10. Eom M, Lee JH, Chung JH, et al. An autopsy case of postpartum acute myocardial infarction associated with postpartum ergot alkaloids administration in old-aged pregnant women. Yonsei Med J. 2005; 46:866–869.
TOOLS
Similar articles