Myocardial infarction following recombinant tissue plasminogen activator treatment for acute ischemic stroke: a dangerous complication

Thrombolysis with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is currently an approved therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) immediately following t-PA treatment for stroke is a rare but serious complication. A case of acute myocardial infarction (MI) following IV t-PA infusion for acute stroke was observed. This is a 52-year-old male with a known history of hypertension and chest pain, who subsequently developed MI four hours after IV t-PA was administered for acute ischemic stroke. The disruption of intra-cardiac thrombus and subsequent embolization to the coronary arteries may be an important mechanism. In addition, spontaneous recanalization of infarct-related arteries may be associated with greater myocardial salvage and better prognosis. Chin Med J 2012;125(15):2775-2776