R. Cortina et al., ADAPTATION MECHANISMS DURING MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA IN CHRONIC UNSTABLE ANGINA-PECTORIS, The American journal of cardiology, 76(12), 1995, pp. 874-876
Unstable angina with a clinical duration of <2 months is characterized
angiographically by a high incidence of complex lesions. Some patient
s have ischemic rest pain syndromes of longer duration, Thus, we retro
spectively analyzed, in blinded fashion, the clinical and angiographic
findings in 52 patients with unstable angina of <2 months' duration (
group A), and compared the results with those of 32 patients with unst
able angina of >6 months' duration (group B). Group B had a greater nu
mber of diseased vessels and better collateral circulation, but had fe
wer eccentric lesions, There were no differences in age, left ventricu
lar function, or history of prior myocardial infarction, Thus, chronic
unstable angina is associated with more extensive coronary disease th
an unstable angina of shorter duration. The role of different anatomic
substrata and collateral circulation is discussed.