Electrocardiographic Changes in Patients
with Acute Pancreatitis. A Case Report and a Review of Literature
Bulava A., Škvařilová M., Marek O., Lukl J.
I. interní klinika Fakultní nemocnice, Olomouc, přednosta prof. MUDr. Jan Lukl, CSc. Klinika anesteziologie a resuscitace Fakultní nemocnice, Olomouc, přednosta MUDr. Oldřich Marek |
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Summary:
Transient electrocardiographic changes in patients with acute pancreatitis are well known in the
literature. Mostly these changes are in the form of T-wave inversion, ST-segment depression, and
rarely ST-segment elevation without the presence of coronary artery disease. We report a patient,
in whom electrocardiographic changes mimicked acute inferior myocardial infarction with subsequent evolution of Q-waves in the inferior leads and ischaemia in the anterior wall. To the
authors´ knowledge, this is the first report documenting the evolution of Q-waves on surface ECG
in the absence of myocardial necrosis verified by postmortem examination in the patient, who
died of cardiorespiratory failure and massive haemoperitoneum as a complication of ongoing
acute necrotizing haemorrhagic pancreatitis. The authors also discuss diagnostic and therapeutic
options in patients with acute pancreatitis and ECG pattern of acute myocardial infarction. Acute
pancreatitis may mimick acute myocardial ischaemia (or infarction) or these two diseases may be
present at the same time. In differential diagnosis, selective coronarography might be helpful and
it allows also immediate revascularisation. Administration of thrombolytic therapy in such patients is not safe and might end up with fatal consequences.
Key words:
Acute myocardial infarction - Acute pancreatitis - Thrombolytic therapy
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