title: Variant angina. Clinical spectrum and results of medical and surgical therapy.
abstract: Fifty-four patients with variant angina are described. They are divided into patients without hemodynamically (less than 50%) important coronary artery lesions (Group 1), patients with intermediate (greater than or equal to 50% and less than 90%) fixed obstruction (Group 2A), and patients with high grade (greater than or equal to 90%) fixed obstruction (Group 2B). Inferior ischemia occurred significantly more often in Group 1 (90% versus 33%. p less than 0.001), and exertional angina was more frequent in Group 2 (70% versus 36%, p less than 0.05). Maximum medical therapy with propranolol and nitrates failed to control angina in 55% of Group 1, 69% of Group 2A, and 63% of Group 2B. Twelve patients underwent intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP), and in 10 there was complete control of variant angina. A total of 35 Group I patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), with a 2.9% mortality rate in patients without preoperative cardiogenic shock. Of these patients, 55% in Group 2A and 73% in Group 2B experienced marked improvement in their angina status. Therefore, we currently recommend bypass grafting for medically intractable variant angina in those patients with severely stenotic, fixed atherosclerotic lesions.
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000601:surgery*; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007423:Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011433:Propranolol; D005996:Nitroglycerin