Abstract

Eighteen patients with Prinzmetal's angina were studied angiographically and 17 were followed for an average of 27 months. The were 12 men and six women, with a mean age of 46.3 years. The mean duration of symptoms before clinical diagnosis was 4.1 weeks. Four had had a previous myocardial infarction. Six patients had spontaneous cardiac arrests within 48 hours of diagnosis and hospital admission. At coronary arteriography, 10 patients had significant coronary artery disease; two of these had coronary artery spasm. The remaining eight patients had normal cornary arteries with significant coronary artery spasm at arteriography. Angiographic mitral valve prolapse was found in eight patients; seven of these had inferior ST segment elevation with pain. Six of the 10 patients with significant coronary artery disease had aortocoronary bypasses performed with good results. Ten of the remaining 11 patients who were treated medically had their symptoms controlled with oral isosorbide dinitrate alone or in combination with propranolol, nifedipine or perhexiline but propranolol may have an adverse effect. Though the initial clinical course in untreated patients was unfavourable, progress after starting treatment was good, with no further cardiac arrests, myocardial infarctions, or deaths.