The European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology redefined the concept of myocardial infarction in the presence of highly positive markers of myocardial injury associated with at least one of the following: ischemic symptoms; development of pathologic Q waves on the ECG or ECG changes indicative of ischemia (positive or negative deviation of the ST segment), making troponins one of the most important aspects in the evaluation and stratification of patients with chest pain in the emergency room. However, although troponin gives excellent accuracy in the identification of myocardial necrosis, it is known that it can also be elevated in a series of nonatherosclerotic heart diseases. We present the case of a 49-year-old female patient admitted to the Chest Pain Unit with a history of supraventricular tachycardia associated with chest discomfort, nausea and diaphoresis. During risk stratification, the patient presented with a high serum troponin T level (0.143 ng/ml) but with a normal coronary angiography.

Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel