Anatomical and functional characteristics of ectatic coronary arteries. An intracoronary ultrasound study.
OBJECTIVE
Using intracoronary ultrasound we studied the anatomical characteristics and the pulsatile changes of the coronary arterial wall of ectatic coronary arteries in patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.


RESULTS
Three study groups were formed according to the characteristics of the coronary segments, (a) group CES, coronary segments with ectasia, n = 10, (b) group NES, normal coronary segments adjacent to ectatic sites, n = 10 and (c) group NAS, normal coronary segments adjacent to atherosclerotic sites, n = 30. Pulsatile changes was defined as CSLA(syst)-CSLA(dia)/CSLA(dia) x 100. Coronary segments with ectasia (CES group) had significantly thinner media than the NAS group. Furthermore, increased vessel wall pulsatile changes were found in the ectatic segments.


CONCLUSIONS
Atherosclerotic ectatic coronary segments reveal diminished media thickness and increased coronary arterial wall pulsatile changes, which may be indicative of a mechanically and structurally weak artery prone to aneurysm formation.
Triantafyllidi
Helen
H
Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece. seliani@hotmail.com
Vavouranakis
Manolis
M
Arvaniti
Chrisa
C
Stefanadis
Christodoulos
C
Toutouzas
Pavlos
P
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*