Acute coronary syndrome because of a scorpion sting in a patient with chronic coronary syndrome: A case report and review of the literature

The occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) following a scorpion sting has been very rarely reported in literature, and most of the cases presented had a normal coronary angiogram. The possible pathogenetic mechanisms include imbalance in blood pressure and coronary spasm caused by a combination of sympathetic excitation with subsequent thrombosis of coronary vessels developed after the release of vasoactive, inflammatory, and thrombogenic substances contained in the scorpion venom. In this report, we present a case of a scorpion sting complicated by ACS, called Kounis syndrome (KS). His coronary angiogram revealed the presence of significant stenosis of the left anterior descending artery. He was treated successfully with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, antivenom serum, and supportive therapy.

Keywords: Scorpion venom, acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty