Myocardial infarction associated with coronary angiography.

M yocardial infarction is a well recognized but infrequent complication of coronary arteriography. In most cases, it has usually been attributed to coronary artery dissection, dislodgement of an arteriosclerotic plaque, sustained hypotension, thromboembolism or spasm of the vessel.’ Fatal thromboembolism following coronary arteriography has rarely been confirmed by postmortem examination since most of these patients survive.” We describe a case of apparent nonfatal coronary thromboembolism during coronary arteriography resulting in complete occlusion of the circumflex artery and producing a true posterior wall myocardial infarction. At the time of a second angiogram one year later, the occluded vessel was found to be totally patent.