RELIABILITY OF EXERCISE-INDUCED ST SEGMENT CHANGES TO DETECT RESTENOSIS 3 MONTHS AFTER CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY - SIGNIFICANCE OF THE APPEARANCE IN OTHER LEADS

Exercise-induced ST-segment changes 3 months after angioplasty sometim es may show a false-positive result, We therefore analyzed the ST chan ges observed during the exercise tests performed before and 3 months a fter angioplasty in 118 patients with single-vessel coronary artery di sease. Ninety-two (78%) of the 118 patients had ST changes in the same lead before and after angioplasty whereas the remaining 26 (22%) pati ents had ST changes in other leads in the postangioplasty exercise tes t when compared with the preangioplasty test. Restenosis was found in 44 (48%) of the 92 patients with ST changes in the same lead but in on ly 4 (15%) of the 26 patients with ST changes in other leads. We concl ude that exercise-induced ST segment changes are not reliable markers of restenosis 3 months after angioplasty. ST segment changes observed in other leads after angioplasty may show a false-positive result when compared with the preangioplasty exercise test.