title: [The course of residual stenosis after intracoronary thrombolysis].
abstract: Clinical outcome after coronary thrombolysis are strictly related to the residual stenosis. However, the natural history of this lesion is largely unknown. To assess this topic we evaluated 25 patients who had coronary recanalization by urokinase in acute myocardial infarction. Serial coronary angiograms were taken immediately after fibrinolytic therapy, before hospital discharge and 1 year later. Angiographically detected coronary reocclusion and/or new ischemic events were exclusion criteria. Angiographic analysis was performed at a five-fold magnification. The followings were specifically evaluated: a) vessel contours at the site of the residual stenosis; b) luminal diameter reduction; c) presence of intraluminal filling defects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the vessel narrowing progressively improved from the acute phase (percent of stenosis 92 +/- 7) to the hospital discharge (82 +/- 8%, p less than .01) and to 1 year follow-up (76 +/- 11%, p less than .001 vs hospital discharge). Moreover, the residual stenosis appears to be "complicated" in early period (irregular contours with superimposed thrombus), but become regular and "uncomplicated" at follow-up examination (smooth contours, hourglass configuration, no intraluminal filling defects).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  a) the residual coronary stenosis is a dynamic process and may improve at follow-up examination; b) a practical approach to the management of the residual stenosis must take in account the natural history of the lesion to give a correct indication for coronary surgery or PTCA.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
vernacular_title: Evoluzione della stenosi residua dopo trombolisi intracoronarica.