Simultaneous multivessel coronary artery spasm demonstrated by quantitative analysis of thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(87)90343-2· OSTI ID:5782453

Kugiyama, K; Yasue, H; Okumura, K; Minoda, K; Takaoka, K; Matsuyama, K; Kojima, A; Koga, Y; Takahashi, M

Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy with quantitative analysis of emission computed tomography was performed during episodes of angina in 19 patients with variant angina and nearly normal coronary arteriographic findings. Eleven patients (group I) were shown by arteriography to have spasm in 2 or more large coronary arteries. Eight patients (group II) had spasm in only 1 coronary artery. In 7 patients in group I, significant diffuse perfusion defects simultaneously appeared in multiple coronary artery regions on the scintigram (group IA). The extent and severity of the perfusion defect as measured by thallium-201 tomography were significantly greater in group IA than in group II (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01, respectively). The duration of transient ST-segment elevation during the attack in group IA was significantly longer than in group II (p less than 0.001). The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia, or complete atrioventricular block during the anginal attack was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in group IA than in group II. In all study patients, neither attack nor scintigraphic perfusion defect appeared on the repeat test after oral administration of nifedipine. In conclusion, multivessel coronary artery spasm simultaneously appears and causes the attack in many patients with variant angina and nearly normal coronary arteriographic findings, and myocardial ischemia due to simultaneous multivessel coronary spasm is likely to be more extensive and severe, persist longer and have a higher frequency of potentially dangerous arrhythmias than that due to spasm of only 1 coronary artery.

• Research Organization: Kumamoto Univ. School of Medicine, Japan
• OSTI ID: 5782453
• Journal Information: Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States) Vol. 60:13; ISSN AJCDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ARTERIES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BLOOD VESSELS
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
CORONARIES
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
HEART
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MUSCLES
MYOCARDIUM
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
PERFUSED ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SINGLE PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
THALLIUM 201
THALLIUM ISOTOPES
TOMOGRAPHY