Simultaneous multivessel coronary artery spasm demonstrated by quantitative analysis of thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography

Abstract

Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy with quantitative analysis of emission computed tomography was performed during episodes of angina in 19 patients with variant angina and nearly normal coronary arteriographic findings. Eleven patients (group I) were shown by arteriography to have spasm in 2 or more large coronary arteries. Eight patients (group II) had spasm in only 1 coronary artery. In 7 patients in group I, significant diffuse perfusion defects simultaneously appeared in multiple coronary artery regions on the scintigram (group IA). The extent and severity of the perfusion defect as measured by thallium-201 tomography were significantly greater in group IA than in group II (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). The duration of transient ST-segment elevation during the attack in group IA was significantly longer than in group II (p < 0.001). The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia, or complete atrioventricular block during the anginal attack was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in group IA than in group II. In all study patients, neither attack nor scintigraphic perfusion defect appeared on the repeat test after oral administration of nifedipine. In conclusion, multivessel coronary artery spasm simultaneously appears and causes the attack in many patients with variant angina and nearly normal coronary arteriographic findings, and myocardial ischemia due to simultaneous multivessel coronary spasm is likely to be more extensive and severe, persist longer and have a higher frequency of potentially dangerous arrhythmias than that due to spasm of only 1 coronary artery.