Angina, Unstable ; etiology ; immunology ; therapy ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antigen Presentation ; Cell Differentiation ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Myocardial Infarction ; etiology ; immunology ; therapy

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a clonal disorder of myeloid stem cells that causes thrombocytosis. As a result, ET can lead to vascular thrombosis and tissue ischemia; the association of coronary artery abnormalities such as myocardial infarction or unstable angina is rare. Here we describe a 45-year-old male patient with essential thrombocythemia who presented with unstable angina. Elective coronary angiography showed total occlusion of mid right coronary artery and mid left anterior descending coronary artery. ET was confirmed by a bone marrow biopsy; treatment was started with antiplatelet therapy including aspirin and clopidogrel along with cytostatic therapy with hydroxyurea and anagrelide. After the initiation of the treatment, the platelet count decreased to 20 s 10(4)/microliter. In addition, percutaneous coronary angioplasty was successfully performed with stent placement at the right coronary artery without hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications.
Thrombocythemia, Hemorrhagic/complications/*drug therapy ; *Stents ; Quinazolinesherapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Hydroxyureaherapeutic use ; Humans ; *Angioplasty, Transluminal, Percutaneous Coronary ; Angina, Unstable/etiology/*therapy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical and angiographic outcomes of vasospastic angina patients with severe organic stenosis treated by drug-eluting stents.

METHODSBetween January 2006 and December 2010, severe organic stenosis (diameter stenosis more than 70%) was evidenced in 7 out of 46 vasospastic angina patients and treated with drug-eluting stents. Coronary angiography was repeated at 6 - 18 months after percutaneous coronary intervention and the patients were clinically followed up. The clinical and angiographic outcomes were observed.

RESULTSNine drug-eluting stents [mean diameter 2.75 - 3.50 (3.08 ± 0.24) mm, length 24 - 33 (27.3 ± 3.6) mm] were successfully implanted in these 7 patients. Stents were implanted into left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 5 patients (71.4%), right coronary artery (RCA) in 1 patient (14.3%), both LAD and RCA in 1 patient (14.3%). Transient RCA spasm and distal LAD spasm were observed during percutaneous coronary intervention of LAD in 2 patients. Anginal attack at rest with transient ST segment elevation at V(1)-V(3) leads occurred 24 hours after LAD stenting in 1 patient. Follow-up coronary angiography showed significant in-stent restenosis or focal edge restenosis (diameter stenosis more than 50%) in 3 patients (42.9%), mild neointimal proliferation but without significant restenosis in 2 patients (28.6%), and no neointimal proliferation in 2 patients (28.6%). During clinical follow-up of 17 to 50 months after percutaneous coronary intervention, 2 patients (28.6%) remained asymptomatic, while effort angina and/or rest angina was documented in the remaining 5 patients (71.4%).

CONCLUSIONSOur results from this small patient cohort suggest that drug eluting stent implantation for severe organic stenosis in patients with vasospastic angina is linked with high incidence of restenosis and recurrent chest pain. Further observation in larger patient cohort is warranted to clarify the efficacy of this strategy for treating vasospastic angina patients with severe organic stenosis.

Aged ; Angina, Unstable ; etiology ; therapy ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Stenosis ; therapy ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; complications ; Aged ; Anaphylaxis ; chemically induced ; Angina, Unstable ; etiology ; therapy ; Contrast Media ; adverse effects ; Dextrans ; adverse effects ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; complications ; Humans ; Male