ST elevation in recovery post exercise with normal coronary arteries

What is it about?

We present the case of a 45 year old healthy man who successfully completed 3 stages of the Bruce protocol but developed inferolateral ST segment elevation in the recovery phase. The ECG change was associated with a marked drop in blood pressure. He underwent emergency coronary angiography which revealed normal coronary arteries. It is likely that post-exercise hypotension triggered coronary spasm which caused the ST segment elevation. Alternatively, coronary spasm may have been the primary event, inducing sufficient myocardial ischaemia to cause a marked drop in blood pressure.

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