Increased basal tone and hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine and ergonovine in spasm related coronary arteries in patients with variant angina: basal coronary artery tone in patients with variant angina

In patients with variant angina, previous data have been inconclusive as to whether basal coronary artery tone is elevated at the spastic and non-spastic sites. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the basa coronary artery tone and the responsiveness to acetylcholine (Ach) and ergonovine (Erg) in patients with variant angina. We compared the basal coronary artery tone and the constrictive responses to Ach and Erg between 31 patients (Group 1) with variant angina in whom spasm was provoked by the low doses of Ach (intracoronary 20 micrograms) or Erg(intravenous 50 micrograms) and 35 patients (Group 2) provoked by higher doses of Ach (intracoronary 100 micrograms) or Erg (intravenous cumulative dose of 350 micrograms), and 26 control subjects. Patients with variant angina in whom spasm was provoked by low doses of Ach or Erg, had a higher incidence of mixed disease, multi-vessel spasm and higher disease activity. The basal coronary artery tone at the spastic and nonspastic sites of spasm related artery was significantly more elevated in Group 1 than that in Group 2 (44+/- 17 vs 14 +/- 11% and 26 +/- 14 vs 16 +/- 10% respectively, P< 0.05), but not in the nonspasm related artery, The magnitudes of vasoconstrictive responses to Ach and Erg at the nonspastic sites were also greater in Group 1 than those in Group 2 and the control groups (Ach; 40 +/- 20 vs 26+/- 11, 27 +/- 12%: Erg; 37 +/- 18 vs 12 +/- 8, 13 +/- 10% respectively, P< 0.05). However, the basal coronary artery tone was not elevated at the spastic and nonspastic sites in Group 2 compared to the in control subjects. These findings suggest that the basal coronary artery tone is increased in patients with variant angina with higher disease activity at the spastic sites and nonspastic sites of the spasm-related artery, and this may be related to the occurrence of coronary artery spasm.

Alteraçöes eletrocardiográficas durante a angina de prinzmetal em portador de marcapasso definitivo / Electrocardiographic changes during prinzmetal angina in patient with implanted pacemaker.

Homem de 68 anos portador de miocardiopatia chagásica e marcapasso definitivo com eletrodo em ventrículo direito, apresentou durante episódio de angina de Prinzmetal alteraçöes eletrocardiográfica, transitórias e características do segmento ST. Desse modo é possível o diagnóstico de isquemia miocárdica em portador de marcapasso em ventrículo direito

A 68-year-old male patient with right ventricular pacing developed ST segment changes during an epi (Prinzmetal's) angina.

Angina instável, variante de prinzmetal e ondas Q transitórias: relato de caso / Unstable angina, Prinzmatal's variant and transient Q waves: report of a case

É relatado um caso de angina variante de Prinzmetal, ocorrendo dois meses após quatro de angina de esforço, no qual se assinalou além do desnível positivo de ST em precordiais, uma nítida onde Q em V2, alteraçöes essas que regrediram em poucos minutos. Algumas horas após, o eletrocardiograma fazia suspeitar um franco infarto antero-serptal. Entretanto quatro dias após, uma nítida onda R era evidente em V2 e com 12 dias de evoluçäo o traçado se apresentava inteiramente normal. A cinecoronariografia mostrou lesäo na artéria descendente anterior e moderada na circunflexa esquerda. A possibilidade de espasmo e/ou trombose coronariana, de recanalizaçäo espontânea e de reperfusäo por trombólise säo discutidas, admitindo-se ainda que as ondas Q anormais possam ter decorrido de isquemia miocárdica severa por insuficiência coronariana aguda. O caso relatado comprova que as síndromes que integram a cardiopatia coronariana aguda nem sempre podem ser delimitadas com precisäo, pois näo raro elas se sucedem ou se imbricam tornando por vezes difícil a precisa identificaçäo de cada uma delas