Subepicardial hematoma after percutaneous coronary intervention

AbstractBackgroundCoronary artery perforation associated to cardiac tamponade is an uncommon life-threatening complication of percutaneous coronary intervention, and the occurrence of subepicardial or intramyocardial hematoma without hemopericardium is even rarer.Clinical caseWe describe the case of a 72 year-old woman with a subepicardial hematoma after percutaneous coronary intervention, who required urgent left internal mammary artery graft to anterior descending artery surgery.ConclusionsSubepicardial or intramyocardial hematoma must be considered when a coronary perforation is suspected in absence of hemopericardium. Transthoracic echocardiogram or computed tomography may be used to decide a conservative or invasive approach