title: Natural history of allograft coronary arteriopathy: a retrospective study of 54 patients over a 8 1/2-year period.
abstract: A total of 288 patients underwent heart transplantation at Loyola University Medical Center over a 8 1/2-year period starting in March, 1984. Of these patients, 54 were identified as having allograft coronary arteriopathy. Diagnosis was made on the basis of abnormal findings on coronary angiography in 44 patients; either an autopsy or explanted heart revealed the diagnosis in the remainder. A total of 279 abnormal lesions were identified by coronary angiography, and over 70% of these stenoses were discrete and located in large epicardial vessels. The left ventricular ed-diastolic pressure demonstrated a steady rise over time (2.5 mmHg/year), and also correlated with the degree of allograft coronary arteriopathy stenosis. The rate of stenosis progression was 33% per year from the time of initial allograft coronary arteriopathy development. Actuarial survival rate was lower than that of patients with arteriopathy. In conclusion, first, the majority of allograft coronary arteriopathy stenoses detected on coronary angiography are discrete, involve large epicardial vessels, and progress rapidly over time. Second, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure seems to reflect the degree of allograft coronary arteriopathy stenosis, and may prove to be a useful indicator of left ventricular dysfunction related to allograft coronary arteriopathy. Third, patients with allograft coronary arteriopathy show a decreased actuarial survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Loyola University Medical Center, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pifarre
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002496:Central Venous Pressure; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology; D017725:Ventricular Pressure