Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine

Vol. 4 No. 3 (2016)

Focal Myopericarditis as a Rare but Important Differential Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction; a Case Series

Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine, Vol. 4 No. 3 (2016), 1 August 2016 , Page 159-162
https://doi.org/10.22037/aaem.v4i3.242

Abstract

Distinguishing ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) differential diagnoses is more challenging. Myopericarditis is one of these differentials that results from viral involvement of myocardium and pericardium of the heart. Myopericarditis in focal form can mimic acute STEMI in its electrocardiogram (ECG) features and elevated cardiac enzymes.

Myocarditis patients may face thrombolytic related complications such as intracranial bleeding, myocardial rupture, and hemorrhagic cardiac tamponade. Furthermore, re-administration of streptokinase (a common thrombolytic agent in our country) is banned for at least six months of previous administration; however, it can save patients’ lives in emergency conditions such as massive pulmonary embolism. It seems that, when dealing with a young patient presenting to emergency department with acute chest pain and ST segment elevation on ECG, we should consider focal myocarditis as an important but rare differential diagnosis of STEMI. In this report, we describe three cases of focal myocarditis, primarily misdiagnosed as STEMI.

Keywords:
  • Coronary angiography
  • electrocardiography
  • myocardial infarction
  • myocarditis
  • emergency medicine

How to Cite

1.
Nozari Y, Tajdini M, Mehrani M, Ghaderpanah R. Focal Myopericarditis as a Rare but Important Differential Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction; a Case Series. Arch Acad Emerg Med [Internet]. 2018 Dec. 15 [cited 2026 Jul. 7];4(3):159-62. Available from: https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/aaem/index.php/AAEM/article/view/242

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