Coronary artery spasm associated with variant angina pectoris.

i) Pain occurs at rest; 2) the discomfort is not related to physical activity or emotional stress; 3) generally, it is longer in duration and more severe; 4) instead of ST segment depression, typical of classic angina, the electrocardiogram shows a transient acute monophasic injury current with reciprocal changes in the standard leads. The ST segment elevation subsides when the pain disappears. Prinzmetal's angina may be caused by localized temporary coronary arterial spasm with or without associated obstruction (Prinzmetal et al., 1959, I960; Sewell, I966). This report describes a patient with chest pain and acute transient ST segment elevation in whom associated spasm of the right coronary artery was demonstrated.