Provocation of coronary spasm with ergonovine maleate. New test with results in 57 patients undergoing coronary arteriography.

Ergonovine maleate (Ergotrate) was given to 57 patients undergoing coronary arteriography for investigation of angina occurring at rest or without provocation when routine study showed normal arteries or insufficient occlusive disease to explain their symptoms. This provocative test induced coronary arterial spasm in 13 patients, 10 of whom had definite Prinzmetal's angina. The spasm was easily reversed with sublingually administered nitroglycerin. The spasm was occlusive or nearly occlusive in nine patients, and there was associated reproduction of the chest pain and S-T elevation similar to the spontaneous episodes. One patient with Prinzmetal's angina had S-T depression rather than elevation in association with the chest pain. The other three patients without Prinzmetal's angina had focal narrowing without coronary occlusion, reproduction of the chest pain or electrocardiographic changes. Of the 44 patients who did not demonstrate coronary spasm in response to ergonovine, 29 had normal coronary arteries and 15 had various degrees of atherosclerotic occlusive disease. We conclude that cautious administration of ergonovine maleate during coronary arteriography can be safely used to elicit coronary spasm in some patients who have insufficient fixed occlusive disease to explain their symptoms.

Coronary artery spasm. medical management, surgical denervation, and autotransplantation.

Coronary artery spasm was induced by intravascular administration of ergonovine maleate (Ergotrate) during cardiac catheterization. In 78 patients suspected to have Prinzmetal's angina, no morbidity or death has resulted despite complete occlusive spasm in two and three coronary arteries. Typical EKG changes and akinesia of the myocardium in the distribution of the occluded vessels documented functional myocardial ischemia during spasm. The occlusive spasm is readily reversed by sublingual or intravascular nitroglycerin, and ventricular contractility returns to normal following relief of spasm. Occlusive spasm has been demonstrated in 15 patients with clinical evidence of Prinzmetal's angina. Symptoms have been effectively relieved by coronary vasodilators in 10 patients. Of the 5 patients in whom medical therapy failed, 4 were treated surgically. These 4 patients were in the intensive care unit with protracted, prolonged pain, subendocardial infarctions, and persistent failure of coronary vasodilators. Aorta-coronary bypass grafts have been combined with total cardiac denervation by autotransplantation (one patient) and total cardiac denervation by stripping of the great vessels (3 patients). Two of the patients treated by cardiac denervation died in the early postoperative period. The patient treated by autotransplantation has total relief of symptoms but persistent spasm on angiography. The angiographic demonstration of occlusive coronary spasm remains a valuable diagnostic tool to document definitively the presence of spasm. The surgical results question the value of surgical intervention in this disease.