2 CASES OF CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON-ASSOCIATED MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are well known to produce ventricular arrhyth mias because of myocardial sensitization to endogenous catecholamines, but cases of myocardial ischemia have not been described frequently. We report 2 cases of myocardial ischemia after exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons. the first patient developed an asymptomatic myocardial infarction after inhalation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane at work. It is be lieved that 1,1,1-trichloroethane produced a coronary spasm that was s ufficient to cause myocardial necrosis in the presence of coronary ves sels already compromised by atherosclerosis. The second patient develo ped a reversible symptomatic myocardial ischemia of 4 h duration after chloral hydrate overdose. The evolution in both patients was favorabl e. Exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons can be associated with myocard ial ischemia particularly if the coronary circulation is already compr omised.