Diagnosis and management of patients with acute cardiac symptoms, troponin elevation and culprit-free angiograms

Patients with acute cardiac symptoms, elevated cardiac troponin and culprit-free angiograms comprise a significant proportion of patients admitted with presumed acute coronary syndromes (ACS). International guidelines recommend that these patients receive lifelong secondary prevention under the presumption that angiographically undetectable coronary artery disease is the likeliest cause for their presentation. Recent studies using cardiac MRI suggest myocarditis to be the most common cause of these presentations. Emerging data also suggest that myocarditis presenting like an ACS may not be benign. In this article the current literature on patients presenting with acute cardiac symptoms, elevated cardiac troponins but culprit-free angiograms is reviewed, focusing on the diagnostic utility of cardiac MRI in this cohort, and the importance of diagnosing acute myocarditis. The development of higher sensitivity troponin assays will undoubtedly lead to an increase in the number of patients with presumed ACS but culprit free angiography. Robust management pathways including cardiac MRI are vital for cardiac centres dealing with these patients in order to achieve cost-effective, individualised patient care.