Successful treatment of refractory vasospastic angina with corticosteroids: coronary arterial hyperactivity caused by local inflammation?
BACKGROUND
Although vasospastic angina usually responds well to treatment with calcium antagonists and/or nitrates, there have been anecdotal case reports of refractory vasospastic angina resistant to intensive treatment with high doses of calcium antagonists and nitrates.


RESULTS
Four patients with vasospastic angina, which was refractory to intensive treatment with high doses of calcium antagonists and nitrates, were completely controlled after administration of corticosteroids. Although none of the 4 patients showed eosinophilia, all had bronchial asthma or chronic thyroiditis, and in 2 cases, the activity of vasospastic angina corresponded with that of bronchial asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that in these patients, coronary spasm may have been induced by arterial hyperreactivity because of local inflammation in the coronary arterial wall and that the corticosteroids suppressed the arterial hyperreactivity by alleviating the inflammation. Corticosteroids may be considered as a treatment choice for patients with refractory vasospastic angina, particularly when the patient has an allergic tendency, such as bronchial asthma.
Takagi
Shuichi
S
Division of Cardiology, National Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Goto
Yoichi
Y
Hirose
Eiki
E
Terashima
Masahiro
M
Sakuragi
Satoru
S
Suzuki
Shoji
S
Tsutsumi
Yoshiaki
Y
Miyazaki
Shunichi
S
Nonogi
Hiroshi
H
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009566:Nitrates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000150:complications
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009566:Nitrates; D011239:Prednisolone