The ‘widow maker’: Electrocardiogram features that should not be missed

• Main Authors: Yusuf Muharam M, Ahmad R, Harmy MY
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia 2013-05-01
• Series: Malaysian Family Physician
• Subjects: Wellen’s syndrome; widow maker; myocardial infarction
• Online Access: http://e-mfp.org/2013v8n1/Wellens-syndrome.pdf
• ISSN: 1985-207X; 1985-2274

Patients with Wellen’s syndrome often present with chest pain and found to have specific precordial T-wave changes on the electrocardiogram (ECG). They subsequently develop a large anterior wall myocardial infarction. These specific electrocardiographic abnormalities are associated with critical stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). This syndrome is often under-recognised and has fatal consequences; it is, therefore, also known as the widow maker. We highlight a case of a 39-year old gentleman who had a history of coronary artery disease and typical ECG characteristics of Wellen’s syndrome.