ABSTRACT
PURPOSE--To study the clinical and hemodynamic aspects of a group of patient presenting non-obstructive coronary lesions. METHODS--We reviewed 963 coronary angiographies performed at a same institution. The 52 patients presenting only stenosis < or = 50 per cent after semi-quantitative measurement composed group I, which was compared with two other groups consisted of 52 patients each: one, with patients presenting univascular lesion > 50 per cent (group II) and the other with normal coronary arteriographies (group III). RESULTS--Mean age was similar in groups I and II (49.4 +/- 6.89 and 51.3 +/- 7.86, p > 0.05) and significantly higher than that of group III (44.8 +/- 6.81, p < 0.05). Risk factors did not discriminate group I (GI) from groups II (GII) and III (GIII). During a follow-up period of 63 months, the number of hospital admissions due to cardiac events and repetitions of coronary arteriography were similar in GI and GII, being significantly less frequent in GIII (p < 0.00001 and 0.001; p < 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). By the end of the follow-up period, though angina and heart failure functional classes had been similar in the three groups, patients in groups I and II were using more medications than those in group III (p < 0.0001 and 0.00001). Mean ejection fractions (per cent) were lower in GI and GII (67.04 +/- 10.13 and 68.90 +/- 11.32) than in GIII (74.69 +/- 6.40, p < 0.01). Lesions were predominantly proximal in GI when compared with GII (p < 0.05). Length, simmetry, ulceration, thrombus and proximal shoulder showed no difference between GI and GII. CONCLUSION--Patients with non-obstructive coronary lesions were similar to those with univascular lesion > 50 per cent regarding several aspects and were considerably different from those with normal coronary arteries