Diagnostic dilemma: A joyful wedding nearly broke a woman's heart in a rare case of 'happy heart syndrome'

The patient: A 65-year-old woman in Qatar

The symptoms: The woman had been dealing with unexplained chest pain for several months, although earlier tests of her heart health had come back normal. She had stopped attending follow-up appointments regarding the chest pain.

But then, she experienced three days of chest pain and shortness of breath that got worse with activity. The symptoms, which began shortly after she attended her daughter’s wedding, initially brought her to a clinic, according to a report of the case.

An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) showed changes in her heart's electrical activity. This is a sign doctors look for when diagnosing a heart attack, because during the event, blood flow to the heart is impaired and that can injure or kill heart-muscle cells. So, the patient was rushed to a hospital emergency department.<...