Approximately 20% of all patients who undergo coronary angiography for suspected coronary
heart disease have normal angiograms or only mild disease (angiographic diameter stenosis
[DS] <50%).
1
Although the long-term prognosis is better for patients with normal angiograms or
mild disease than those with critical stenoses, almost half of the patients with normal
angiograms or mild disease continue to have anginal chest pain.
1
,
2
,
3
Explanations for continued symptoms have included coronary artery spasm, syndrome
X, noncoronary etiologies, and stenoses that are significant but angiographically
unrecognized.
4
,
5
,
6
This report examines the frequency and predictors of angiographically occult lesions
in an interventional patient population.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- Seven year survival of patients with normal or near normal coronary arteriograms.J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986; 7: 479-483
- Clinical course of patients with normal or slightly or moderately abnormal coronary arteriograms.Circulation. 1980; 62: 712-717
- Clinical characteristics and follow-up of patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries.Angiology. 1998; 49: 349-354
- Frequency of provoked coronary arterial spasm in 1089 consecutive patients undergoing coronary arteriography.Circulation. 1982; 65: 1299-1306
- Cardiac syndrome X.J Am Coll Cardiol. 1995; 25: 807-814
- Potential errors in the estimation of coronary arterial stenosis from clinical arteriography with reference to the shape of the coronary arterial lumen.Br Heart J. 1986; 55: 129-139
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 20,
2003
Received in revised form:
February 20,
2003
Received:
December 5,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Excerpta Medica Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
