PANIC DISORDER - CORONARY SPASM AS A BASIS FOR CARDIAC RISK

Patients with panic disorder often complain of angina-like chest pain during panic attacks, but this is not usually considered life-threaten ing. We describe three patients with panic disorder and documented car diac ischaemia during episodes of chest pain. In two, if progressed to myocardial infarction. As none had atherosclerosis evident at coronar y angiography, the mechanism was presumed to be coronary artery spasm. These cases illustrate that pain typical of angina during panic attac ks may have an organic cause.