Coronary vasospasm: is it a myth? 2010

Udo Sechtem, and Peter Ong, and Anastasios Athanasiadis, and Matthias Vöhringer, and Rimma Merher, and Ali Yilmaz
Department of Cardiology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany. udo.sechtem@rbk.de

This review addresses some myths about coronary vasospasm as the cause of angina pectoris. Coronary artery vasospasm is a common phenomenon, which is clinically encountered by busy cardiologists almost on a daily basis. It is the cause of resting angina in many patients without significant coronary artery disease, but also in patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease but no subtotal lesion. Although coronary artery vasospasm can be suspected clinically, proof cannot usually be obtained by non-invasive means but is easily available during cardiac catheterization. Patients with vasospastic angina are repeatedly exposed to this invasive procedure as most cardiologists suspect a coronary lesion requiring intervention as the cause of the patient's resting angina. Adding an intracoronary acetylcholine test to the catheterization procedure may establish the correct diagnosis and enable treatment with calcium antagonists and nitrates. Epicardial vasospasm may be observed during the test in patients with and without angiographically visible lesions in the coronary arteries. Almost 50% of all pathological tests, however, do not show epicardial vasospasm but reproduction of symptoms and electrocardiogram signs of ischemia indicating spasm of the microvessels.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D003329 Coronary Vasospasm Spasm of the large- or medium-sized coronary arteries. Coronary Artery Spasm,Coronary Artery Vasospasm,Artery Spasm, Coronary,Artery Vasospasm, Coronary,Coronary Artery Spasms,Coronary Artery Vasospasms,Coronary Vasospasms,Spasm, Coronary Artery,Vasospasm, Coronary,Vasospasm, Coronary Artery
D004562 Electrocardiography Recording of the moment-to-moment electromotive forces of the HEART as projected onto various sites on the body's surface, delineated as a scalar function of time. The recording is monitored by a tracing on slow moving chart paper or by observing it on a cardioscope, which is a CATHODE RAY TUBE DISPLAY. 12-Lead ECG,12-Lead EKG,12-Lead Electrocardiography,Cardiography,ECG,EKG,Electrocardiogram,Electrocardiograph,12 Lead ECG,12 Lead EKG,12 Lead Electrocardiography,12-Lead ECGs,12-Lead EKGs,12-Lead Electrocardiographies,Cardiographies,ECG, 12-Lead,EKG, 12-Lead,Electrocardiograms,Electrocardiographies, 12-Lead,Electrocardiographs,Electrocardiography, 12-Lead
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D000789 Angina, Unstable Precordial pain at rest, which may precede a MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. Angina at Rest,Angina, Preinfarction,Myocardial Preinfarction Syndrome,Angina Pectoris, Unstable,Unstable Angina,Angina Pectori, Unstable,Anginas, Preinfarction,Anginas, Unstable,Myocardial Preinfarction Syndromes,Preinfarction Angina,Preinfarction Anginas,Preinfarction Syndrome, Myocardial,Preinfarction Syndromes, Myocardial,Syndrome, Myocardial Preinfarction,Syndromes, Myocardial Preinfarction,Unstable Angina Pectori,Unstable Angina Pectoris,Unstable Anginas
D017023 Coronary Angiography Radiography of the vascular system of the heart muscle after injection of a contrast medium. Angiography, Coronary,Angiographies, Coronary,Coronary Angiographies

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