Pulmonary Embolism and Myocardial Infarction With Non-obstructive Coronary Arteries in Immune Thrombocytopenia: Unmasking Underlying Antiphospholipid Syndrome
This case report presents the clinical scenario of a 35-year-old male patient who experienced chest pain due to a combination of pulmonary embolism (PE) and myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), concurrently while undergoing treatment with avatrombopag for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). His investigations included a CT pulmonary angiogram that confirmed a PE, a coronary angiography which was normal, a cardiac MRI which showed evidence of subendocardial infarct, and a CT coronary angiogram, which was normal. His unique presentation with these findings prompted further investigations, which revealed an undiagnosed antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) alongside a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Hence, the paradoxical thrombotic incidents were precipitated by this unique diagnosis. After establishing the diagnosis, our patient was commenced on warfarin, and his treatment protocol for ITP was changed to a different drug. He remains under haematology follow-up.
Authors
- Nawal Rafiq
- Nawaid Ahmad
- Muhammad Shahzeb
- Faiqa Jabeen Naeem
- Muhammad Irfan
- Kiran Naz
- Ijaz Ul Haq
Institutions
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (GB)
- Princess Royal University Hospital (GB)
- Princess Royal Hospital (GB)
- Northwest General Hospital and Research Center (PK)
- Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2026-01-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.100731
- Primary Topic
- Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00