title: Is the left main angulated, stenosed, or "bent" by the guiding catheter?
abstract: Exact angiographic and identification of significant stenosis of the left main coronary artery is imperative prior to performing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.  A patient is presented with an apparent angiographically significant, but physiologically insignificant, left main stenosis.  Both angiographic and physiological methods of detecting "false positive and negative" left main stenoses are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, KY 40202.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Talley
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Godlewski
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Prince
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000075202:Contraindications; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome