title: Predictors of exercise induced myocardial ischemia in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the angiographic predictors of exercise induced ischemia in patients with isolated coronary ectasia. We have prospectively analysed coronary angiograms of 1521 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation. The overall incidence of coronary ectasia was 6.7% (102 patients). Forty-six patients (3%) with non-obstructive, diffuse or segmental coronary ectasia (i.e. isolated coronary ectasia) constituted the main study group. Coronary angiograms were reviewed for stigmata of an impaired coronary blood flow such as 'slow flow', 'segmental backflow phenomenon' and stasis. 'Slow flow' was quantified with frame counting. An ectasia-jeopardy score was also described in order to assess the effect of the extent of coronary ectasia on exercise induced ischemia. Exercise induced ischemia was observed in 24 patients (52%). Exercise test was abnormal in 70% of the patients with diffuse ectasia and 26% of patients with segmental ectasia (p = 0.003). The frame count of the arteries of the study group was higher than the control group but the correlation between the frame count of the ectatic vessels and exercise induced ischemia was not significant. Stasis of the dye also did not correlate with ischemia. There was a significant correlation between exercise induced ischemia and backflow phenomenon in left anterior descending artery (LAD) (r = 0.56, p = 0.0001). Exercise induced ischemia was best correlated with the ectasia-jeopardy score (r = 0.77, p = 0.0001) and a score of > or =4 identified the patients at risk with 90% sensitivity and 80% specificity. In conclusion, the extent of the ectasia within the coronary tree, diffuse ectasia and backflow-phenomenon in LAD were identified as the most important predictors of exercise induced ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sevket Demirel Heart Center, Suleyman Demirel University Medical School, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altinbas
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nazli
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kinay
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergene
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gedikli
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozaydin
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Gurhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunay
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014654:Vascular Patency