Silent myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease

ABSTRACT

Silent myocardial ischemia [SMI] is defined as an objective evidence of myocardial ischemia occur in the absence of symptoms in a patient who has documented coronary artery disease. It may result in a silent infraction or a sudden death or other event. The studied group consisted of 30 patients [20 males]. Treadmill exercise test and single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT] perfusion scintigraphy were used to detect signs of myocardial ischemia in angiographically documented presence of a single coronary artery disease. Fourteen patients had only SMI and nine patients had angina pectoris only during stress. The predictive value of SPECT to detect reperfusion defects for all was 83%. The prevalence of SMI in patients with LAD stenosis was higher than those with RCA and/or LCx lesions