This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Roberts, W. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Roberts, W. C.

Circulation, Vol 54, 388-390, Copyright © 1976 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

The coronary arteries and left ventricle in clinically isolated angina pectoris: a necropsy analysis

WC Roberts

Certain clinical and morphologic observations are described in 27 patients with severe isolated angina pectoris of either the stable (five patients) or the unstable form (22 patients). Twenty-four patients died during or shortly after cardiac operations designed to relieve angina pectoris and three died during cardiac catheterization. During life none had had clinical evidence of acute myocardial infarction or congestive cardiac failure. At necropsy, each had diffuse, extensive coronary atherosclerosis with severe luminal narrowing: the lumens of at least two, an average of three, of the four major epicardial coronary arteries were narrowed greater than 75% in cross-sectional area by old atherosclerotic plaques. Despite the severe coronary narrowing, there was little myocardial damage. Left ventricular scarring (excluding papillary muscle) was observed grossly in only 14 (52%) of the 27 patients and in each it involved only a small portion of myocardial wall. The left ventricular cavity was of normal size in all except two patients. The hearts were of normal weight in 15 (56%) patients, and the average increase above the upper range of normal for the other 12 hearts was 19%. Thus, clinically isolated, severe angina pectoris is associated with severe, diffuse luminal narrowing but relatively little myocardial damage.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. C. Fishbein and R. J. Siegel How Big Are Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaques That Rupture? Circulation, November 15, 1996; 94(10): 2662 - 2666. [Full Text]

				P. B. OLIVA Unstable Rest Angina with ST-Segment Depression: Pathophysiologic Considerations and Therapeutic Implications Ann Intern Med, March 1, 1984; 100(3): 424 - 440. [Abstract] [PDF]