Korean Journal of Medicine  2008;74(6):672-675

Two patients with acute myocardial infarction presenting with simultaneous acute ischemic stroke.

Jong Kyu PARK 1 ; Sang Hak LEE ; Seonghoon CHOI ; Jae Hun JUNG ; Namho LEE

Affiliations

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Keywords

Cerebrovascular accident; Myocardial infarction; Concomitant disease

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke often share the same risk factors and pathogenic mechanism. Sometimes they can occur in the same patient proximately, occurring days or weeks apart. However, the simultaneous occurrence of MI and stroke is rare and presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Specifically, an acute stroke can alter typical features of MI. Thus, recognition of the coexistence of these two events requires a high threshold of suspicion. The authors describe two patients who presented with simultaneous stroke and MI development. The two events developed on the same day in both patients. The second patient did not have chest pain, whereas chest symptoms could not be assessed in the first patient secondary to altered mental status. After the diagnoses were made using clinical and laboratory findings, urgent percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in both patients.