[Clinical and angiographic characteristics of acute anteroseptal and upper lateral myocardial infarction: obliquous infarction; proposal of a new denomination for a specific type of infarction].

PURPOSE: Analysis of clinical and angiographic characteristics of oblique (anteroseptal and high lateral) myocardial infarction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-two patients, 33 men, aged 30 to 79 years (mean 57) with oblique myocardial infarction were clinically evaluated and through coronary arteriography between ten day and eight months (mean of two months) of the acute event. RESULTS: Twenty patients had severe proximal lesions of left anterior descending artery (LAD), being single in thirteen. Four cases showed severe lesions in two arteries and three cases in three arteries. Fourteen patients exhibited collateral circulation to LAD or recanalization. Ejection fraction values were between 0.12 and 0.65 (mean 0.38). Eight patients died, four of them due to myocardial failure and four due to noncardiac causes. During follow-up angina pectoris was present in five, stroke in three and pulmonary embolism in two patients. CONCLUSION: Oblique myocardial infarction is associated with single and proximal lesion of LAD in the majority of the patients who underwent coronary arteriography, with low incidence of cardiac failure and death.