title: The provocation of coronary arterial spasm in patients with recent transmural myocardial infarction.
abstract: Provocative tests for coronary spasm were performed in a group of 131 patients (124 men and 7 women) with recent (less than 6 weeks) transmural myocardial infarction. Coronary arteriography was performed 27 +/- 9 days after the onset of the infarction. The provocative test was performed using a single IV bolus of 0.4 mg of ergometrine. Aortic pressure, ECG and arteriograms of the two coronary vessels were repeated 3 and 5 min later. Provoked spasm was observed in 27 (21%) of the patients. In 13 (48%) the coronary spasm occurred in a vessel presumed to be responsible for the myocardial infarction, while it was observed in coronary artery unrelated to the area of the infarct in 14 (52% of the cases with spasm). Thus, this study demonstrates a high degree of reactivity of the coronary tree of patients with recent transmural myocardial infarction suggesting the likelihood of a role for spasm in the infarction process and offering some explanation for subsequent recurrent ischemic events.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004874:Ergonovine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D004874:Ergonovine