Coronary artery spasm in the denervated transplanted human heart: a clue to underlying mechanisms

The mechanism of coronary artery spasm has been poorly understood but there has been some suggestion that cardiac autonomic innervation may play an important role. We report coronary artery spasm in a 43 year old man two years after he had received a transplant. Provocative pharmacologic testing suggested functional denervation of the patient's heart. Thus, coronary artery spasm can occur in the transplanted, denervated human heart. Autonomic innervation of the heart is not essential in all cases of coronary spasm, and circulating catecholamines and/or metabolic of hormonal products may play an important role.