[Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring: a comparison of ischemic changes of the ST-segment and coronary cineangiography]. / Monitorização eletrocardiográfica ambulatorial: comparação entre alterações isquêmicas do segmento ST e a cinecoronariografia.

PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of an ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring system, in identifying atherosclerotic coronary artery disease among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, through a comparison of ST-segment depression with angiographic findings. METHODS: Fifty patients, 48 men, with the mean age 49 +/- 13 years (range 20 to 73), presenting ST-segment depression, were submitted to coronary angiography, complemented by echocardiogram and exercise testing, when the angiography was considered normal. According to the symptoms patients were divided into three groups: I--asymptomatic (16-32%); II--atypical chest pain (15-30%); and III--angina (19-38%). The Cardiac Care Units (Compass TM) system was used for the ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients (48%) had significant atherosclerotic coronary artery disease documented angiographically. Twenty-six patients (52%) had normal coronary arteries by angiography: 18 (36%), presented some pathology demonstrated by echocardiographic studies (left ventricle hypertrophy, mitral valve prolapse, non-obstructive septal hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy). Eight patients (16%) had normal echocardiograms, and in (6%) the exercise test was positive and in the other 5 (6%) negative. One of those patients (2%), with negative exercise test, had a myocardial bridge over the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery, 2 patients (4%) presented symptomatic episodes of ST depression, and 2 other patients (4%) were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: A comparison of the ST depression analysed in real time during ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring with the cinecoronarographic findings showed a poor correlation of the two methods in identifying atherosclerotic coronary disease. The ischemic depressions of ST-segment were associated to obstructive lesions or slow flow in the coronary arteries in only 48% of the cases studied.

[Ischemic cardiopathy with normal epicardial coronary arteries. Probable spasm of the coronary arteries. A case report]. / Cardiopatia isquêmica com artérias coronárias epicárdicas pérvias. Provável espasmo das artérias coronárias. Relato de caso.

The authors discuss the case of a young woman, with chest pain at rest and normal coronary arteries. Sixty-three days after the onset of the symptoms the patient had a myocardial infarction. The coronariogram showed obstruction of the left coronary artery in its full length. The authors consider that a coronary spasm was the cause of the infarction. It is very likely that independent of personal characteristics, coronary spasm may be persistent, involve the whole extent of the vessel and occur even with use of vasodilator drugs.