Acute myocardial infarction after wasp sting

Myocardial infarction after wasp sting is a rare event and this complication has been described in only a few previous occasions. We report the case of a 77-year-old patient admitted to our hospital because of an anaphylactic shock after he was stung by a wasp on the fifth finger of the left hand. Within about half an hour he sustained an acute myocardial infarction. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms include severe hypotension due to hypovolemic shock and coronary spasm with subsequent thrombosis of coronary vessels developed after the release of vasoactive, inflammatory and thrombogenic substances contained in the hymenoptera venom.