Prinzmetal's angina pectoris with normal coronary arteriograms

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Vascular Medicine
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Variant angina pectoris, also known as Prinzmetal's angina, is characterized by chest pain due to coronary artery spasms.
• Traditionally, significant coronary artery disease (CAD) has been considered a primary cause of angina.

Observation:

• This study presents four cases of variant angina pectoris where initial coronary arteriograms showed normal findings.
• The absence of severe arteriosclerotic lesions in major coronary arteries challenges the necessity of such findings for anginal attacks.

Findings:

• The occurrence of anginal attacks in variant angina may not strictly require severe arteriosclerotic lesions in major coronary arteries.
• Demographic data (age and sex distribution) for variant angina closely mirrors that of effort angina.

Implications:

• These findings suggest that coronary artery spasm, rather than solely obstructive lesions, is a key mechanism in variant angina.
• The similar demographic profile implies a potential, albeit not fully understood, role for arteriosclerosis in the pathophysiology of variant angina.