[Diagnosis of angiospastic angina pectoris by coronarography]

Tests with intravenous ergometrin maleate and selective coronarography were performed in 82 coronary patients. In 16 of those, coronary spasm was suspected from ECG findings at preliminary testing and confirmed at repeated pharmacologic tests during coronarography. Episodes of vasospastic angina pectoris accompanied by multiple spasms in branches of the main coronary arterial trunk, and spastic response developing at different levels of one coronary artery were demonstrated. It is suggested that angiographic diagnosis is indispensable, particularly at a cardiosurgical in-patient unit, as a procedure both specifying the diagnosis and localizing the spasm, so that the site of distal anastomosis can be chosen for future aortal-coronary shunting.