Significance of Coronary Artery Spasm Diagnosis in Patients With Early Repolarization Syndrome

BackgroundPreviously described patients with early repolarization syndrome (ERS) may have experienced silent coronary artery spasm (CAS) because the diagnosis of CAS was mainly based on symptoms or coronary angiography findings, without performing a spasm provocation test. This study investigated the significance of CAS diagnosis and evaluated the incidence of silent CAS in patients with possible ERS (ie, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation [VF] and inferolateral J wave). Methods and ResultsThe study included 34 patients with idiopathic VF and inferolateral J wave. Thirteen patients (38%) were diagnosed as having CAS on the basis of coronary angiography with spasm provocation test (n=8) and documentation of spontaneous ST elevation (n=5). Of the 13 patients with CAS, 5 (38%) did not experience chest symptoms before and during VF, and were diagnosed as having silent CAS. The remaining 21 patients (62%), with a negative provocation test result and absence of chest symptoms, were considered to have ERS. Duri...