Acute urinary retention presenting as inferior pseudo-STEMI: A case report

The authors aim to highlight a case where acute urinary retention led to inferior ST-segment elevation on an electrocardiogram, mimicking a myocardial infarction, without the typical signs of sympathetic activation. They present a 73-year-old man with massive bladder distension who experienced ST-segment changes that resolved following catheterization, suggesting that mechanical factors rather than hemodynamic changes may be responsible for such electrocardiographic alterations. This case emphasizes the need for emergency physicians to consider bladder distension as a potential cause of reversible ST-segment elevation.