title: Bimodal presentation of the clinical syndromes of coronary atherosclerosis: a review.
abstract: Recent clinical, angiographic, and pathologic evidence has prompted reexamination of the natural history of coronary atherosclerosis. Abrupt anatomic complications of atherosclerotic plaques or thrombosis on a plaque may precipitate the "malignant" syndromes of sudden death, acute myocardial infarction, or unstable angina before the plaque itself is large enough to limit coronary flow. This concept of a bimodal pattern of presentation has important clinical and therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Commerford
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans