Acute myocardial infarction found by multi-detector computed tomography ordered for suspected aortic dissection

Sherwin SW Lo, WK Kwok
Department of Radiology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

Urgent requests for contrast computed tomographic scans of the thorax are often performed for suspected aortic dissections and pulmonary embolisms, both of which have clinical features similar to those seen in acute myocardial infarction. We present two cases with computed tomographic scans showing decreased myocardial enhancement, suggestive of acute myocardial infarction, but no evidence of aortic dissection. Acute myocardial infarction was subsequently confirmed by coronary angiography.

Hong Kong Med J 2008;14:233-5

Key words: Coronary angiography; Myocardial infarction; Tomography, X-ray computed