Dobutamine-induced transmural myocardial ischemia in a patient with mild coronary lesions.

A 70-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of retrosternal pain at rest. During infusion of dobutamine (25 micrograms/kg/min) the patient developed angina, ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads, and echocardiographic hypokinesia in the inferior-basal myocardial wall. Coronary angiography revealed insignificant (20-30%) stenosis of the right coronary artery and a normal remaining tree. This case suggests that dobutamine may induce transmural myocardial ischemia in patients with mild coronary lesions, probably by producing occlusive coronary spasm on a substrate of arterial endothelial dysfunction.