Coronary arteriography in acute transmural myocardial infarction

Abstract Coronary arteriography was performed 16 ± 3 days (range 7 to 21 days) in 106 patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction (61 posterior infarct, 45 anterior infarct). Coronary arteriography was performed without serious complications. Only 44 per cent of patients with anterior infarct had total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery while a significant stenosis of the vessel was observed in the others −27 per cent had a single vessel disease, 49 per cent had two lesions and 22 per cent had three lesions; one patient had angiographically normal coronary arteries. Among the patients with posterior infarction, 21 per cent had one vessel disease and double or triple lesions accounted for 39 per cent of each. Sixty per cent of patients with anterior infarction and 45 per cent with posterior infarction had no collateral vessels. In the others patients collateral circulation had a protective effect only in anterior infarction. Age has no effect on the distribution and number of lesions nor on the development of a collateral circulation. The location and severity of the lesions were not different in patients who presented with arrythmias and those who did not.