We injected acetylcholine (ACh), the neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, into the coronary arteries of 28 patients with variant angina. Injection of 10 to 80 micrograms ACh into the coronary artery responsible for the attack induced spasm together with chest pain and ST segment elevation or depression on the electrocardiogram in 30 of the 32 arteries of the 25 of the 27 pati...

Background. It has been suggested that recurring coronary artery spasm may lead to the development of fixed atherosclerotic coronary obstructions. Methods and Results. We studied 10 patients with typical Prinzmetal's variant angina in whom the disease remained active for years and in whom occlusive coronary spasm occurred reproducibly at the same arterial site during repeat coronary arteriograp...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to elucidate the correlation between angiographic coronary vasomotor responses to intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) injection, clinical features, and long-term prognosis in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA). METHODS AND RESULTS This is a retrospective, observational, single-center study of 1877 consecutive patients who underwent ACh-provocation test b...

BACKGROUND The prevalence, clinical features, and long-term outcome of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE ACS) associated with coronary spasm are not fully investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS This observational multicenter study enrolled 1601 consecutive patients with suspected NSTE-ACS who underwent cardiac catheterization between January 2001 and December 201...

Effects of leukotriene (LT) C4 and LTD4 on coronary artery spasm in atherosclerotic miniature pigs were examined angiographically. Endothelial balloon denudation of the left circumflex coronary artery was performed in 15 Gottingen miniature pigs; 11 were fed a 2% cholesterol diet and four were fed a regular diet for 3 months. Three months after this denudation, the area of the coronary artery w...

As pharmacological spasm provocation tests, acetylcholine (ACh) [1-3] and ergonovine (ER) [4,5] are employed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. However, we often encounter the major and minor complications during performing these procedures. As a diagnostic tool, we should perform spasm provocation tests more safely without major complications. Multiple and proximal spasm documented by ...

We injected acetylcholine (ACh), the neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, into the coronary arteries of 28 patients with variant angina. Injection of 10 to 80 gg ACh into the coronary artery responsible for the attack induced spasm together with chest pain and ST segment elevation or depression on the electrocardiogram in 30 of the 32 arteries of 25 of the 27 patients. The in...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The gender differences among Korean patients with coronary spasm have not been defined. We thus determined the gender differences among Korean patients with coronary spasm. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Patients with chest pain and/or syncope who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between January 2001 and August 2008 were included. Provocation of coronary...

BACKGROUND Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is defined as a reversible, sudden epicardial coronary artery stenosis that causes vessel occlusion or near occlusion. CASE REPORT In this article, we present a clinical case of CAS in a 48-year-old woman undergoing elective aortic valve replacement surgery for aortic stenosis. On the 3rd post-operative day, the patient suffered from chest pain and dyspn...

Three patients had hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and coronary artery spasm. The clinical diagnosis of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, in all patients, was confirmed by echocardiography and angiography. Significant spasm of the right coronary artery was demonstrated in each patient by selective coronary arteriography. One patient had atherosclerotic obstructive three vessel di...