Published online Feb 26, 2025. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v17.i2.101588
Revised: December 25, 2024
Accepted: January 21, 2025
Published online: February 26, 2025
Processing time: 158 Days and 14.7 Hours
Coronary heart disease (CHD) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are thrombotic diseases. Patients with CHD and PE are common in clinical practice. However, the clinical diagnosis of PE is challenging due to overlapping primary symptoms, such as chest tightness and dyspnea. This confluence frequently leads to the misdiagnosis of PE, thus precipitating treatment delays and compromising patient outcomes. Herein, we report the case of a patient with both diseases who under
A 51-year-old man with a history of hypertension for 2 years visited a local hospital because of paroxysmal chest tightness for 1 d and was diagnosed with CHD. However, he refused hospitalization. He visited our hospital for the treatment of recurring symptoms. A comprehensive examination after admission revealed elevated D-dimer levels, and computed tomography pulmonary angio
D-dimer is useful in screening for PE, whereas computed tomography pulmonary angiography is important for diagnosis. For patients with CHD and PE, coronary artery bypass grafting combined with anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy is feasible.
Core Tip: Coronary heart disease and pulmonary embolism are common cardiovascular diseases encountered in clinical practice. Their primary symptoms, such as chest tightness and dyspnea, are similar and lack specificity. Therefore, when these two diseases coexist in clinical practice, they are frequently misdiagnosed or missed. Here, we report the case of a patient who presented with paroxysmal chest tightness lasting 2 d. He was diagnosed with coronary heart disease combined with pulmonary embolism. The patient underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and received anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, resulting in a favorable prognosis.