CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY AND ANGINA PECTORIS

. Selective coronary angiography has been performed in 35 consecutive patients admitted for anginal pain. Five patients had patent coronary arteries, whereas nine proved to have congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries. Thus about 40% of the patients did not have the expected coronary atherosclerosis. Among the twenty-one patients having obliterative coronary artery disease only six suffered from lipid metabolic disturbances. In these patients both the diffuse and the occlusive type of coronary artery disease was observed, indicating the influence of additional factors in precipitating the arterial injury. The majority of the patients with acquired coronary artery disease had normal blood lipids. A distinct discrepancy was observed between current criteria of true angina pectoris and demonstrated changes of the coronary arteries. Correlation between electrocardiographic changes and coronary artery obstruction was satisfactory.