Angina Pectoris* ; Diagnosis*

Angina Pectoris ; diagnosis ; therapy ; China ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo establish and screen the primitive entry pool of scale for patient-reported outcomes of coronary heart disease angina (CHDA).

METHODSUnder the guidance of Chinese medical theory, the original entry pool was preliminarily established in referring the international scale development methods and the characteristics of angina pectoris, which was screened by focus group discussions, semi-open questionnaires investigation, and expert's interviews.

RESULTSThirty-six entries were screened out from the 41 entries of initially established entry pool, in which 14 entries dealt with physiological domain, 8 with psychological domain, 4 with independent domain, 3 with social relations domain, 6 with social environment domain and 1 for overall assessment.

CONCLUSIONSThe preliminary entries screened out have covered all the 5 commonly concerned domains of CHD-AP, could reflect the connotation of the disease more comprehensively. And it has good content validity due to its popular language, which is easily to be understood, comprehended and responded.

Angina Pectoris ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Coronary Disease ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Treatment Outcome

We report a case of coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistula in 53-year-old man with review of literature. He complained of anterior chest pain with tightness, but all physical findings were normal. Routine laboratory findings in cluding EKG and chest PA were normal. For evaluation of angina, we performed the coronary arteriogram and established the diagnosis of coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistual incidentally. There was no hemodynamic significance.
Angina Pectoris* ; Arteries* ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Fistula* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Thorax

OBJECTIVEThis study is aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with typical and atypical coronary artery spasm.

METHODSOut of 64 patients with chest pain at rest and without significant coronary artery stenosis, coronary artery spasm was provoked by intracoronary injection of acetylcholine in 46 patients, including 12 with ST segment elevation (typical coronary artery spasm group) and 34 without ST segment elevation (atypical coronary artery spasm group). The demographic data, coronary angiographic findings, treadmill electrocardiogram, dipyridamole and rest thallium-201 myocardial perfusion computed tomography, and the follow-up clinical data of the two groups were compared.

RESULTSThe patients with typical coronary artery spasm were younger (47 +/- 6 vs. 58 +/- 12, P < 0.05) than patients with atypical coronary artery spasm group. Hyperlipidemia were more common in atypical coronary artery spasm group (74% vs. 33%, P < 0.05) and myocardial bridging was more common in patients with typical coronary artery spasm group (67% vs. 32%, P < 0.01). Focal coronary spasm during acetylcholine provocation was seen in 92% patients with typical coronary spasm and in 32% patients with a atypical coronary artery spasm (P < 0.01) while diffuse coronary spasm was seen in 8% patients with typical coronary spasm and in 68% patients with a atypical coronary artery spasm (P < 0.01). All patients with coronary artery spasm were treated with aspirin, calcium channel blockers, long-acting nitroglycerine, with or without lipid-lowering drugs, 2 patients with typical coronary spasm and 4 patients with atypical coronary spasm were rehospitalized due to chest pain and rest of the patients remained free of chest pain during the median follow-up period of 18 +/- 14 months.

CONCLUSIONAtypical coronary artery spasm is common in patients with rest angina and diffuse coronary microvascular spasm might be the cause of chest pain in these patients.

Acetylcholine ; Adult ; Angina Pectoris, Variant ; diagnosis ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vasospasm ; diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis

Acute coronary syndrome consists of acute myocardial infarction associated with electrocardiographic ST segment elevation (STEMI) and unstable angina/non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI). Theses three conditions are differentiated primarily by clinical, electrocardiographic, and laboratory presentations correlating with the duration and extent of thrombotic occlusion as a consequence of plaque rupture. Acute coronary syndrome is now the most prevalent presentation of ischemic heart disease in Korea as well as developed countries. Q-wave acute myocardial infarction is the most easily identified syndrome ; persistent angina and ST-segment elevation are characteristic of sudden total or near-total thrombotic arterial occlusion. Urgent reperfusion is the mainstay of therapy, whereas UA/NSTEMI is usually associated with severe coronary obstruction but not total occlusion of the culprit coronary artery. The distinction between unstable angina and non-Q wave, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction is often not clear at the initial presentation of patients. Unstable angina is defined as angina pectoris with at least one of the following three features : ① It occurs at rest usually lasting more than 20 minutes. ② It is severe and described as frank pain and of new onset within 1 month. ③ It occurs with a crescendo pattern (more severe, prolonged, or frequent than previously). Some patients with this pattern of ischemic discomfort, especially those with prolonged rest pain, develop evidence of myocardial necrosis on the basis of the release of cardiac markers and thus have a diagnosis of NSTEMI. This diagnosis has been based on the elevation of serum creatine kinase (CK)-MB, level but recently troponin T and I assays are used to define ischemic myocardial damage based on their higher sensitivity for myocardial necrosis and prognostic implication. Troponin has become the standard myocardial marker. A certain number of patients have elevated levels of troponins in the absence of significant CK elevation. Several studies have shown that despite nondiagnostic CK levels, an elevated troponin level often indicates a poor prognosis. Successful treatment strategies for acute coronary syndrome that improve survival include anticoagulant, antiplatelet, thrombolytic, and interventional approaches.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Angina Pectoris ; Angina, Unstable ; Coronary Vessels ; Creatine Kinase ; Developed Countries ; Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Necrosis ; Prognosis ; Reperfusion ; Rupture ; Troponin ; Troponin T

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of cardiac troponin as a marker for the detection of minor myocardial injury following percutaneous coronary interverntion (PCI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In 79 patients who underwent successful PCI under the diagnosis of stable angina, serum creatinine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured before and at 6, 12 and 24 hours after PCI, and the angiographic findings and procedural characteristics of PCI were compared between the elevated and the normal enzyme groups. RESULTS: Abnormal values of one or more markers following PCI were observed in 17 patients (22%) ; 11 after stenting and 6 after balloon angioplasty alone. The frequency of abnormal cTnI levels was 19% and was significantly higher than that of CK-MB (6%, p < 0.01). No significant differences in target vessel number, target artery, ACC/AHA type, TIMI flow, stenting, time and number of ballooning, maximal inflation pressure or balloon diameter and length were observed between the two groups. Small side branch occlusions developed in 23% of the elevated enzyme group and in 3% of the normal enzyme group. CONCLUSION: Minor myocardial injury can be detected by cTnI and is observed frequently in patients with stable angina following PCI. A small side branch occlusion is related with elevated cTnI.
Angina Pectoris ; Angina, Stable ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Arteries ; Coronary Disease ; Creatinine ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Inflation, Economic ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention* ; Phosphotransferases ; Stents ; Troponin I ; Troponin T ; Troponin*

BACKGROUND: Anomalous origin of a coronary artery is rare, but it can lead to angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, or even sudden death in the absence of atherosclerosis. Even when an anomalous vessel is identified angiographically, it may be difficult to delineate its true course on the basis of angiography alone. We attempted to determine whether transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is of value in making the diagnosis and outlining the course of anomalous left circumflex (LCx) or right coronary arteries (RCA). METHOD: Eight adult patients with anomalous origin of LCx or RCA documented by selective coronary angiography were studied by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and multiplane TEE. RESULTS: Anomalous coronary ostia were visualized in all eight patients by TEE, but in only one with anomalous RCA out of eight patients by TTE. The proximal segments of anomalous coronary vessels were delineated in all eight patients by TEE and in only three with anomalous LCx out of eight patients by TTE. CONCLUSION: TEE is a valuable adjunctive diagnostic tool for the identification of anomalous coronary origin and course and is superior to TTE in adult patients.
Adult ; Angina Pectoris ; Angiography ; Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels* ; Death, Sudden ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVETo explore the objective special features and role of various indexes of treadmill exercise test (TET) in patients of coronary heart disease (CHD) caused angina pectoris with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome (QYD) with or without accompanied phlegm and blood stasis syndrome (PBS), to provide references for preventing and treating CHD in clinical practice.

METHODSOne hundred and one patients, whose diagnosis measured to the diagnostic standard and the inclusion criteria of angina pectoris and CHD, were classified according to their TCM syndrome type to two groups, the QYD without PBS group (49 cases) and the QYD with PBS group (52 cases). TET was conducted on all the patients. The relative parameters were measured and compared.

RESULTSAs compared with the QYD without PBS group, in the QYD with PBS group, (1) the TET positive rate was higher; (2) total exercise time was lesser; (3) the maximal metabolic equivalent (Max MET) was lower; (4) the average depression of ST segment at the exercise endpoint of test (mV) was higher; (5) the time of ST segment depressed for 0.1mV (min) was longer; (6) the metabolic equivalent during ST-segment depressed by 0.1mV was shorter; and (7) the change of QRS wave time-limit before and immediately after TET was more evident. Moreover, in the testing time more patients revealed angina episode after exercise, and less patients had their heart rate reached the requirement in the QYD with PBS group than those in the QYD without PBS group. Comparison between the two groups in all the above-mentioned indices showed significant difference respectively (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPatients with CHD caused angina pectoris of QYD with PBS are worse in the tolerance for exercise and severer in pathological change of coronary artery than those in those without PBS, they belong to the severe phase of TCM syndrome.

Angina Pectoris ; physiopathology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; physiopathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Exercise Test ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Qi ; Yin Deficiency

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The development of coronary intervention registry system is required for analysis of current status and more efficient management of patients with coronary artery disease in Korea. We developed database system and registry system in internet environment to confirm the possibility of nationwide system construction and of useful information providing on coronary intervention. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Database for coronary intervention and web-based registry system were developed and installed on internet server. Data elements consist of demographics, coronary risk factors, initial diagnosis, lesion characteristics, type of interventional procedures, and post-procedure outcomes. RESULTS: Total 734 patients were registed by 12 intervention centers from November 1998 to October 1999. Patients with angina pectoris and myocardial infarction were 78.5% and 21.5%, respectively and 14.6% of all patients had history of previous coronary intervention. Major coronary risk factors of the patients were smoking (38.6%), hypertension (33.8%), and diabetes (18.0%). Proportions of the patients with single-vessel disease, two-vessel disease, and triple-vessel disease were 64.7%, 26.2%, and 9.1%, respectively. Left main disease was detected in 2.0%. Balloon PTCA only was performed in 209 patients and 530 patients underwent coronary stent insertion. CONCLUSION: Multicenter data of coronary intervention were collected via internet-based system, and it was possible to construct intervention database. These web-based systems linked with database will provide status of Korean interventional procedures and be able to support multicenter study efficiently by expanding the participating hospitals and including more detailed database fields.
Angina Pectoris ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Internet ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stents