Churg-Strauss Infarction

Report:

Sinus rhythm 75/min

SVEBs

Left ventricular hypertrophy with ST/T changes

ST/T changes also c/w infarction/ischaemia

Comment:

The patient was admitted with unstable angina but deteriorated over 24 hours into cardiogenic shock and died.

The ECG is suggestive of anteroseptal ischæmia or infarction. Echocardiogram showed dilated and hypertrophied ventricle with global systolic dysfunction most marked anteroseptally. Autopsy showed multiple focal areas of infarction secondary to allergic angiitis and granulomatosis (Churg-Strauss syndrome) and eosinophilic pericarditis. The coronary arteries showed extensive atheroma burden, but without critical flow-limiting stenoses. The heart weighed 500 g. There was widespread involvement of lungs and other organs.

The trace below (Fig 39a), taken in ICU a few hours before death, shows incomplete LBBB, with loss of septal q waves in 1 and aVL and r waves in V1-2.

Despite peripheral eosinophilia and pulmonary infiltrates (looking like œdema) the cardiac diagnosis was a surprise – one of those that delight the pathologists. Ischæmic syndromes due to vasculitides are well recognised38 but remain zebras in the daily life of the hospital.

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