Giant Inverted T waves in the emergency department: case report and review of differential diagnoses

Inverted T waves are frequently seen in electrocardiograms (ECGs) and may represent a myriad of pathologies or nonspecific change. However, deep (giant) inverted T waves are only seen in a few clinical conditions. Presence of giant T waves should generally prompt investigations for apical (Yamaguchi) variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, raised intracranial pressure, severe myocardial ischemia, posttachycardia syndrome, and others. This report describes an unusual case of moderate but not massive pulmonary embolism presenting with an ECG finding of giant inverted T waves. A review of the common conditions associated with such an ECG is also presented.