Persistently elevated CKMB and negative troponin T in a patient at ischaemic risk with chest pain.

D Schulenburg, W De Lange, H Van Jaarsveld, J M Kuyl

Department of Chemical Pathology, Universitas National Health Laboratory Services, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Cardiovascular journal of Africa 2010 Jan-Feb

filter terms:

Analytical interference in laboratory assays is not only unpredictable but also an underestimated problem. Not recognising these interferences can lead to misdiagnosis and mismanagement of patients. We present a case of a patient with chest pain and ischaemic risk factors with incongruent biochemical results. These results were discovered to be due to the presence of macro-creatine kinase (macro-CK) in vivo interfering with the CKMB activity assay.

Citation

D Schulenburg, W De Lange, H Van Jaarsveld, J M Kuyl. Persistently elevated CKMB and negative troponin T in a patient at ischaemic risk with chest pain. Cardiovascular journal of Africa. 2010 Jan-Feb;21(1):47-8