Document Detail


Shortness of breath, syncope, and cardiac arrest caused by systemic mastocytosis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15940090     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
During a 3-month period, a 33-year-old man presented to the emergency department on 4 occasions with dyspnea, palpitations, and syncope. His initial presentation was accompanied by acute myocardial injury and ventricular fibrillation. An extensive evaluation spanned the 3 months and included echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology study, tilt-table evaluation, pulmonary angiography, electroencephalography, and serum and urine analysis. Diagnosis eluded clinicians until a rash was recognized to be urticaria pigmentosa, and biopsy of the rash then implicated mastocytosis. Since the initiation of pharmacotherapy nearly 5 years ago, the patient has remained asymptomatic. This case demonstrates that systemic mastocytosis can present as recurrent syncope and even as cardiac arrest. Diagnosis of this rare but potentially fatal disease is made particularly challenging by its protean manifestations.
Authors:
Susan M Rohr; Michael W Rich; Kevin H Silver
Publication Detail:
Type:  Case Reports; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Annals of emergency medicine     Volume:  45     ISSN:  1097-6760     ISO Abbreviation:  Ann Emerg Med     Publication Date:  2005 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-06-07     Completed Date:  2006-05-18     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8002646     Medline TA:  Ann Emerg Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  592-4     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Summa Health System, and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Akron, OH, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Dyspnea / etiology
Epinephrine / therapeutic use
Heart Arrest / etiology
Humans
Hypotension / etiology
Male
Mastocytosis, Systemic / complications,  diagnosis*,  drug therapy
Syncope / etiology
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
51-43-4/Epinephrine

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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