[Coronary spasm and acute coronary insufficiency (author's transly)]

A series of cases illustrating a spectrum of acute coronary episodes associated with transient subepicardial injury, namely the variant form of angina, angina intermedia with electrocardiographic changes similar to those of the variant angina, acute myocardial infarction complicated by variant angina with electrocardiographic changes localized to the infarcted area, acute myocardial infarction preceded and followed by variant angina, is presented. The role of a coronary spasm as a common mechanism of the above mentioned episodes is postulated. Coronarographic demonstration of this mechanism is produced.