title: Some observations on and controversies about coronary arterial spasm.
abstract: The pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of spasm of epicardial coronary arteries are reviewed briefly, especially with regard to some issues that remain controversial. For diagnosis, emphasis is placed on the need for objective observations during an attack, even if that requires an attempt at pharmacologic provocation during coronary arteriography, or during echocardiography when prior arteriography has demonstrated the absence of severe coronary stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: rex.macalpin@ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Rex N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: MacAlpin
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans
keywords: Coronary artery spasm; Coronary atherosclerosis; Ergonovine; Intracoronary acetylcholine; Prinzmetal's variant angina; Sudden death