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Vasospastic Angina

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Contemporary Concepts in Cardiology

Part of the book series: Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine ((DICM,volume 217))

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Abstract

In 1959 Prinzmetal et al1 described a variant form of angina, which, in contrast with the more common effort angina, occurs exclusively or predominantly at rest, often without apparent cause, and is characterized by elevation, rather than depression, of the ST-segment on the electrocardiogram (ECG). The authors hypothesized that this form of angina was caused by an increase in “tonus” at the site of a subcritical coronary stenosis.1 Indeed, no increase in the hemodynamic determinants of myocardial oxygen consumption can be detected by continuous hemodynamic monitoring before the appearance of ischemia.2,3

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Authors
  1. Attilio Maseri
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  2. Gaetano A. Lanza
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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Maseri, A., Lanza, G.A. (1999). Vasospastic Angina. In: Contemporary Concepts in Cardiology. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol 217. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5007-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5007-5_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7274-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5007-5

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