BACKGROUND Coronary artery spasm may be the underlying mechanism in up to 10% of cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and sudden cardiac death. Asian individuals exhibit a 3-times greater incidence of spasm than Caucasians; this is likely due to different types of mechanisms. Consequently, solid data is limited about the long-term prognosis in Caucasian patients presenting with ACS and/or out...

BACKGROUND Coronary spasm can cause myocardial ischemia and angina in patients with and those without obstructive coronary artery disease. However, provocation tests using intracoronary acetylcholine administration are rarely performed in clinical routine in the United States and Europe. Thus, we assessed the clinical usefulness, angiographic characteristics, and safety of intracoronary acetylc...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the conformational change of arterial structure in the vasospastic lesion with optical coherence tomography. BACKGROUND Coronary artery spasm plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart diseases. The conformational change of each arterial layer during vasospasm has not been studied in detail. METHODS We assessed 19 corona...

Transradial access (TRA) has grown in popularity recently. It postprocedural percutaneous coronary intervention success rates that are similar to transfemoral access. TRA angiography is associated with fewer vascular and bleeding complications, earlier ambulation, greater comfort better cost-effectiveness. Coronary heart disease become the most prevalent cardiovascular disease, making best opti...

For over 100 years, ergot alkaloids have been known to be powerful vasoconstrictor agents, even capable of causing gangrene (1). In the late 1940s, intravenous administration of ergotamine to patients with "organic heart disease" s found to cause electrocardiographic (ECG) changes and chest pain, believed to represent a direct vasoconstrictor effect of ergotamine on the coronary arteries, Stein...

We report on a 69-year-old woman who demonstrated native coronary artery and grafted vessel spasm following on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Despite intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) insertion, electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities did not disappear. Emergency coronary angiography (CAG) was performed. The patient was successfully treated with systemic and intracoronary injection of...

REVIEW OBJECTIVE The objective is to identify the effectiveness of topical medications in reducing radial artery spasm in patients undergoing transradial coronary procedures.

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggested that perivascular components, such as perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and adventitial vasa vasorum (VV), play an important role as a source of various inflammatory mediators in cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVES The authors tested their hypothesis that coronary artery spasm is associated with perivascular inflammation in patients with vasospastic angina ...

BACKGROUND Coronary spasm may be caused by endothelial dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle hyperreactivity, or both. We aimed to determine the relative role of endothelial dysfunction and vascular smooth muscle hyperreactivity in the pathogenesis of coronary artery spasm in the swine model in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS In Göttingen miniature pigs given a high cholesterol diet, a segment of the...

XiVe present a case o£ coronary artery spasm during epidural plus general anesthesia. A 7i-year-old man was scheduled for pancreatoduodenectomy. A continuous thoracic epiclurai block was performed at the Th IO-ll interspace and gei}eral anesthesia was maintained with enfiurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Thirty minutes after the start of the operatioil, hypotension occurred suddenly and the EC...