Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J J Piek.
This case report illustrates the significance of biomechanical forces, such as static exercise as a precipitating factor for plaque rupture resulting in coronary dissection and secondary thrombus formation, as documented by angiography in this particular patient.
OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between plaque inflammation of the initial culprit lesion and the incidence of recurrent angina for one year after directional coronary atherectomy (DCA). BACKGROUND: A positive correlation between coronary plaque inflammation and angiographic restenosis has been reported. METHODS: A total of 110 patients underwent DCA. Cryostat sections were immunohistochemically stained with monoclonal antibodies CD68 (macrophages), CD-3 (T lymphocytes) and alpha-actin (smooth muscle cells [SMCs]). The SMC and macrophage contents were planimetrically quantified as a percentage of the total tissue area. T lymphocytes were counted as the number of cells/mm2. The patients were followed for one year to document recurrent unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or stable angina pectoris (SAP). RESULTS: Recurrent UAP developed in 16 patients, whereas recurrent SAP developed in 17 patients. The percent macrophage areas were larger in patients with recurrent UAP (27 +/- 12%) than in patients with recurrent SAP (8 +/- 4%; p = 0.0001) and those without recurrent angina (18 +/- 14%; p = 0.03). The number of T lymphocytes was also greater in patients with recurrent UAP (25 +/- 14 cells/mm2) than in patients with recurrent SAP (14 +/- 8 cells/mm2; p = 0.02) and those without recurrent angina (14 +/- 12 cells/mm2; p = 0.002). Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis identified macrophage areas and T lymphocytes as independent predictors for recurrent UAP. CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive association between the extent of initial coronary plaque inflammation and the recurrence of unstable angina during long-term follow-up after DCA. These results underline the role of ongoing smoldering plaque inflammation in the recurrence of unstable angina after coronary interventions.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to perform a direct comparison between perfusion scintigraphic results and intracoronary-derived hemodynamic variables (fractional flow reserve [FFR]; absolute and relative coronary flow velocity reserve [CFVR and rCFVR, respectively]) in patients with two-vessel disease. BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the diagnostic accuracy of intracoronary-derived variables (CFVR, FFR and rCFVR) in patients with multivessel disease. METHODS: Dipyridamole technetium-99m sestamibi (MIBI) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed in 127 patients. The presence of reversible perfusion defects in the region of interest was determined. Within one week, angiography was performed; CFVR, rCFVR and FFR were determined in 161 coronary lesions after intracoronary administration of adenosine. The predictive value for the presence of reversible perfusion defects on MIBI SPECT of CFVR, rCFVR and FFR was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics curves. RESULTS: The mean percentage diameter stenosis was 57% (range 35% to 85%), as measured by quantitative coronary angiography. Using per-patient analysis, the AUCs for CFVR (0.70 +/- 0.052), rCFVR (0.72 +/- 0.051) and FFR (0.76 +/- 0.050) were not significantly different (p = NS). The percentages of agreement with the results of MIBI SPECT were 76%, 78% and 77% for CFVR, rCFVR and FFR, respectively. Per-lesion analysis, using all 161 measured lesions, yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of three intracoronary-derived hemodynamic variables, as compared with the results of perfusion scintigraphy, is similar in patients with two-vessel coronary artery disease. Cut-offvalues of 2.0 for CFVR, 0.65 for rCFVR and 0.75 for FFR can be used for clinical decision-making in this patient cohort. Discordant results were obtained in 23% of the cases that require prospective evaluation for appropriate patient management.
OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that lumen diameter loss within 1 h after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is related to plaque volume parameters. BACKGROUND: Early lumen diameter loss after coronary balloon angioplasty may predict restenosis and may paradoxically decrease late lumen diameter loss. Viscous properties of the vessel wall, as would be determined by tissue volume and composition, may be involved in early lumen diameter loss. METHODS: Early lumen diameter loss was measured with quantitative coronary angiography as the loss in lesion lumen diameter (significant loss 0.4 mm) occurring between 5 min and a median of 40 min after successful coronary balloon angioplasty in 68 patients. Thirty-nine patients were evaluated with intravascular ultrasound at the narrowest lumen cross-section of the dilated lesion, 29 patients formed a control group without intravascular ultrasound imaging. We tested the relation between intravascular ultrasound parameters and early lumen diameter loss. RESULTS: Early lumen diameter loss of > or = 0.4 mm was present in eight patients (12%), decreasing lumen diameter from 2.26 +/- 0.36 mm to 1.73 +/- 0.43 mm. There was no difference in the frequency of early lumen diameter loss between the groups with or without intravascular ultrasound imaging. Univariate intravascular ultrasound determinants of early lumen diameter loss were media bounded area (p = 0.01), maximal plaque thickness (p = 0.02), eccentricity index (p = 0.03) and the presence of hard lesions (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Early lumen diameter loss in the first hour after successful coronary balloon angioplasty occurs in a small proportion of patients. It is related to hard lesion type, maximal plaque thickness and eccentricity index, favoring a role for viscous plaque properties in early lumen diameter loss.
BACKGROUND: There are limited data regarding the immediate and long-term effect of balloon angioplasty on the coronary flow reserve evaluated in a multicentre setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 86 patients with one-vessel disease and normal left ventricular function were analysed before and after optimal balloon angioplasty (diameter stenosis <35%) and at 6-month follow-up. Coronary flow reserve was assessed with a Doppler guide wire. A low coronary flow reserve ( 2.5 (46% vs 23% and 36% vs 16%, respectively; P<0.05) due to a trend towards restenosis (29% vs 16%; P=0.15) or a low coronary flow reserve at follow-up due to persistent elevated baseline blood flow velocity. Patients without restenosis showed a decrease or increase of coronary flow reserve during follow-up, determined by alterations of hyperaemic blood flow velocity. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with an impaired coronary flow reserve directly after optimal balloon angioplasty showed a higher target lesion revascularization rate compared to patients with a coronary flow reserve >2.5. This patient group consists of patients prone to develop restenosis, while other patients are characterized by a persistently low coronary flow reserve, probably secondary to disturbed autoregulation and/or diffuse mild coronary atherosclerosis. Coronary flow reserve alterations in patients without restenosis were related to changes in hyperaemic blood flow velocity, suggesting that this phenomenon relates to epicardial remodelling.
BACKGROUND: The coronary flow velocity acceleration at the stenotic site (SVA), defined as a > or = 50% increase in resting stenotic velocity when compared with the reference segment, has been shown to be highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of a hemodynamically significant stenosis. In this study, we describe the value of postprocedural SVA for the prediction of a lack of improvement in functional activity at long-term follow-up balloon angioplasty (BA). METHODS: We investigated the improvement in functional activity in patients undergoing single native vessel angioplasty and intracoronary Doppler (before BA, after BA, and again at 6-month follow-up) as part of the Doppler Endpoints Balloon Angioplasty Trial Europe (DEBATE) I trial. Lack of improvement was defined as no change in Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) at 6-month follow-up, whereas SVA was defined as > or = 50% elevation in resting velocity at the treated area compared with the distal measurement. RESULTS: SVA was found more frequently in patients without improvement in DASI (45% vs 31%, P =.03). Similar percent diameter stenosis and coronary flow velocity reserve were observed in patients with and those without improvement in DASI at follow-up. By multivariate regression analysis, the presence of SVA (P = .029; odds ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 3.63) and an elevated DASI at baseline (P < .001; odds ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 1.07) were associated with a lack of improvement at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of SVA was associated with failure of improvement in functional activity at follow-up after coronary intervention.
BACKGROUND: Quantification of myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) may improve scintigraphic analysis. Recently, a fully operator independent technique for the quantification of myocardial perfusion SPECT was described, based on a normal three-dimensional averaged reference heart. The purpose of this study was to compare the automated SPECT quantification technique with experienced observers. METHODS: A total of 43 patients, 36 with one-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) and seven with a low likelihood of CAD, underwent 99Tcm-sestamibi SPECT (99Tcm-MIBI SPECT). Three experienced observers and a panel (composed of the three observers), blinded to the clinical and angiographic data, analysed the size and severity of perfusion defects and the relation to the distribution areas of the coronary arteries. Inter-observer agreement was calculated by using kappa (kappa) statistics. RESULTS: The inter-observer agreement between the human observers and the automated quantitative analysis, for severity and size of perfusion abnormality, was moderate (kappa range 0.38-0.68), while this was fair between three individual observers (kappa range 0.36-0.87) and good between the individual observers and the panel (kappa range 0.63-0.89). There were no differences between the quantitative analysis and the panel in the allocation of perfusion abnormalities to the affected coronary artery. CONCLUSIONS: The operator independent quantification method showed a moderate agreement with individual observers and a panel analysis for size and severity of perfusion abnormalities. The automatic quantification has a similar ability to assign perfusion abnormalities to the diseased coronary artery as compared to an expert panel.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate immunohistochemically various parameters of inflammation in coronary atherectomy specimens obtained from restenotic culprit lesions of patients presenting with either stable or unstable angina (UA). BACKGROUND: There is no information regarding the relationship between atherosclerotic plaque inflammation and the severity of the coronary syndromes in patients with restenotic coronary lesions. METHODS: A total of 37 patients with either stable angina or UA underwent directional coronary atherectomy for restenotic coronary lesions. Cryostat sections of atherectomy specimen were immunohistochemically stained with monoclonal antibodies CD68 (macrophages [MACs]), CD3 (T-lymphocytes) and alpha-actin (smooth muscle cells [SMCs]). Smooth muscle cell contents and MAC contents were planimetrically quantified as the percentage immunopositive tissue area of the total tissue area. T-lymphocytes were counted at 100-X magnification throughout the entire section and expressed as number of cells per mm2. RESULTS: Restenotic coronary lesions of patients with UA or stable angina showed no significant difference in SMC areas (31.9%+/-16.3% vs. 38.5%+/-18.8%, respectively; p = NS). However, restenotic coronary lesions of patients presenting with unstable angina contained significantly more MACs (24.4%+/-15.1% vs. 10.5%+/-5.8%, p = 0.001) and T-lymphocytes (18.8 cells/mm2+/-15.1 cells/mm2 vs. 8.6 cells/mm2+/-9.8 cells/mm2; p = 0.034) than patients with stable angina. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that inflammation appears to affect plaque instability in restenotic coronary lesions resulting in unstable coronary syndromes.
OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the long-term functional outcome assessed by exercise myocardial perfusion imaging following excimer laser angioplasty compared to balloon angioplasty in coronary lesions > 10 mm in length. BACKGROUND: Previous randomized studies evaluating the effect of coronary interventions mainly focused on the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome. The functional outcome, assessed by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, has not been evaluated in a randomized setting. METHODS: A total of 308 patients with stable angina and a longer coronary lesion (> 10 mm) were randomized to excimer laser angioplasty or balloon angioplasty. A 99mTechnetium-2-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) study was performed in 139 patients before the initial angioplasty procedure and at 6 months follow-up (73 patients in the laser group versus 66 patients in the balloon group, respectively). Exercise tolerance at follow-up was compared to baseline values by means of exercise duration and double product at peak exercise. Myocardial perfusion of the randomized vascular bed was assessed semi-quantitatively on the MIBI SPECT images. The reversible defects were graded as mild, moderate or severe. Myocardial perfusion at follow-up was expressed as a percentage reduction in incidence and grading of the reversible defects compared to baseline values. RESULTS: Forty-four (61%) patients assigned to laser angioplasty were asymptomatic at 6 months follow-up compared to 34 (52%) patients assigned to balloon angioplasty (p = NS). Improvement in exercise duration and double product were 0.7 +/- 2.1 min and 4.3 +/- 6.2 min/mmHg/l,000, respectively, in the laser group, versus 0.3 +/- 2.5 min and 3.1 +/- 5.5 min/mmHg/1,000, respectively, in the balloon group (both p = NS). The percentage reduction of reversible defects was 23% in patients assigned to laser angioplasty vs. 29% in patients assigned to balloon angioplasty (Relative risk [RR]: 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.40-1.57; p = 0.50). The mild, moderate and severe reversible defects improved in 44.4, 63.6 and 66.6%, respectively, in the laser angioplasty group vs. 66.6, 53.8 and 90%, respectively, in the balloon angioplasty group. None of the comparisons were significantly different. CONCLUSION: Excimer laser angioplasty compared to balloon angioplasty in coronary lesions > 10 mm in length yields a similar long-term functional outcome assessed by anginal status, exercise tolerance and myocardial perfusion.
AIMS: Evaluation of angiographical and intracoronary Doppler-derived parameters of coronary stenosis severity. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 225 patients with one-vessel disease were studied before PTCA and at 6 months follow-up. Exercise electrocardiography was performed to document presence (n = 157) or absence (n = 138) of an ST segment shift (> or =0.1 mV). Intracoronary blood flow velocity analysis was performed to determine the proximal/distal flow velocity ratio, the distal diastolic/systolic flow velocity ratio and coronary flow velocity reserve. Receiver operator characteristic curves were calculated to assess the predictive value of these variables compared with the exercise test. The distal coronary flow velocity reserve demonstrated the best linear correlation for both percentage diameter stenosis and minimum lumen diameter (r = 0.67 and r = 0.66; P<0.01), compared to the diastolic/systolic flow velocity ratio (r = 0.19 and r = 0.14; P<0.01) and the proximal/distal flow velocity ratio (r = 0.03 and r = 0.07; not significant). The areas under the curve were 0. 84+/-0.02; 0.82+/-0.03 and 0.83+/-0.03 for diameter stenosis, minimum lumen diameter and coronary flow velocity reserve, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the percentage diameter stenosis or minimum lumen diameter and coronary flow velocity reserve were independent predictors for the result of stress testing. CONCLUSIONS: The distal coronary flow velocity reserve is the best intracoronary Doppler parameter for evaluation of coronary narrowings. Angiographical estimates of coronary lesion severity and distal coronary flow velocity reserve are good and independent predictors for the assessment of functional severity of coronary stenosis, emphasizing the complementary role of these parameters for clinical decision making.
BACKGROUND: The DUET Study is a multicenter prospective efficacy and safety evaluation of the ACS MULTI-LINK DUET coronary stainless steel balloon-expandable stent. AIMS: The primary objective was to determine the one-month incidence of MACE (major adverse cardiac events). The secondary objectives were the acute success rate, the restenosis and reocclusion rates (assessed by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA)) at six months and the occurrence of MACE in hospital and at six months. METHODS: Two hundred and ten patients were enrolled between February and June 1998 in 18 European centers. Successful stent placement was achieved in 209 patients. All patients were treated with ticlopidine 500 mg/day for one month and with aspirin >/=100 mg/day. To allow the investigators to gain familiarity with the stent system, the first one to three patients per center formed a separate lead-in population leaving an intention-to-treat population of 157 patients. The majority of the intention-to-treat population were male (79%); 28% had unstable angina, 69% had stable angina, 44% had had a previous myocardial infarction, 15% had had a previous percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and 3% had a history of stroke. The target vessel was 38.5% left anterior descending artery, 20.5% left circumflex artery and 41.0% right coronary artery. RESULTS: All but one of the intention-to-treat patients were effectively stented (17 required multiple stents). Six-month angiographic follow-up was available in 90% of the intention-to-treat population. Minimal lumen diameter (MLD) postprocedure was 2.61 +/- 0.33 mm, with a residual diameter stenosis of 16%. Six-month follow-up data showed an MLD of 1.87 +/- 0.56 mm with a residual diameter stenosis of 36%. The binary restenosis rate (>/=50% residual stenosis) was 15.6%. Up to one month following the procedure 94.9% of the population was MACE-free, with two subacute occlusions. At six months all patients were alive, of whom 82.8% were MACE-free, and 73% were free of anginal complaints. CONCLUSION: The results observed in the current DUET registry are comparable to data of other balloon-expandable-stent trials, with a low incidence of clinical events at follow-up.
For many years now, silent ischaemia has been recognized as a distinct clinical entity, and its relevance in different patient groups has been established. However, a number of basic questions have not been answered. In explaining the pathophysiology of silent ischaemia, factors affecting both the demand and the supply side are now being recognized. With the exception of certain well-defined groups, it is not clear why some patients are mostly symptomatic, while other patients are predominantly asymptomatic. There appear to be many factors influencing the ischaemic pain threshold. Studies investigating the prevalence of silent ischaemia show a remarkably high prevalence of silent ischaemia in different patient groups. Patients with hypertension but without coronary artery disease form a specific and vulnerable high-risk population that is particularly prone to silent ischaemia. Since changes at the macrovascular level are not responsible, various factors negatively influencing either cardiac supply or demand have been investigated. A reduced coronary reserve is central in explaining the increased prevalence of silent ischaemia in hypertensives. Left ventricular hypertrophy renders meaningful detection of ST segment changes difficult, but a possible solution dealing with this problem is offered by applying more stringent criteria in terms of minimal ST depression in the definition of ischaemia. The treatment of silent ischaemia is largely the same as for angina pectoris, but whether therapy should be directed at elimination of all ischaemic episodes or only of symptomatic episodes depends on further prospective work addressing this question.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate triage of patients for short term observation after elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), as appropriate selection of patients for short term observation after angioplasty may facilitate early discharge. METHODS: 1015 consecutive patients scheduled for elective PTCA were prospectively included for short term observation. Patients with unstable angina Braunwald class III were excluded. There were no angiographic exclusion criteria. Patients were discharged from the interventional centre when considered stable during 4 hours of observation after PTCA. It was left to the operator's discretion whether to prolong the observation period. Procedural complications were defined as death, coronary bypass surgery, early repeat PTCA, and myocardial infarction. OUTCOME MEASURES: The need for prolonged observation (> 4 hours) and the occurrence of complications. Predictors for prolonged observation and the occurrence of complications after the 4 hours observation were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Two patients died, including one of six patients who underwent emergency bypass surgery. In all, 922 patients (90.8%) were triaged to short term observation and had an uncomplicated three day follow up. Observation was prolonged in 87 patients (8.6%), and 40 patients had a complicated course. Independent predictors of procedural complications were acute closure (odds ratio (OR) 9.7; 95% confidence interval 4.4 to 21.4), side branch occlusion (OR 8.9; 3.4 to 23.7), no angiographic success (OR 5.1; 2.4 to 11.0), female sex (OR 3.1, 1.7 to 5.7), any unplanned stent (OR 2.8, 1.4 to 5.9), and ostial lesion (OR 2.2, 1.0 to 4.7). CONCLUSIONS: A 4 hour observation period is safe after elective coronary angioplasty. As procedural variables are the strongest predictors of postprocedural complications, the immediate procedural results allow effective triage of patients for short term or prolonged observation in order to anticipate complications.
It has been shown in vitro that the time-intensity data of echo contrast agents may be influenced by the background intensity of the myocardium and attenuation at high contrast agent concentrations. In the present study, these effects are evaluated from in vivo data. An effect of background intensity of the myocardium on the determination of the transit rate of the contrast agent could not be demonstrated unambiguously. A statistically significant relation between transit rate and background intensity was found only for intermediate flows in the transmural region. The magnitude of this relation was such that it does not provide a serious source of error. Attenuation and shadowing typically underestimate the transit rate of the contrast agent, which results in overestimation of flow. It is recommended that the lowest doses of contrast agent inducing myocardial opacification should be applied.
OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of collateral vascular circulation according to hemodynamic variables and its relation to myocardial ischemia. BACKGROUND: There is limited information regarding the hemodynamic quantification of recruitable collateral vessels. METHODS: Angiography of the donor coronary artery was performed before and during balloon coronary occlusion in 63 patients with one vessel disease. Patients were divided into groups of those with an absence of collateral vessels (group 1, n = 10), those with recruitable collateral vessels (group 2, n = 23) and those with spontaneously visible collateral vessels (group 3, n = 30). During balloon inflation the coronary wedge/aortic pressure ratio (Pw/Pao) was determined as were collateral blood flow velocity variables, using a 0.014" Doppler guide wire. Myocardial ischemia was defined as > or =0.1 mV ST-shift on a 12 lead electrocardiogram at 1 min coronary occlusion. RESULTS: Myocardial ischemia was present in all patients of group 1, in 14 patients of group 2 and in 3 patients of group 3. Recruitable collateral flow without ischemia showed similar hemodynamic values as in group 3 while these values were similar to group 1 in regard to the presence of recruitable collateral vessels showing ischemia. Logistic regression analysis revealed both Pw/Pao and Vi(col) as independent predictors for the function of collateral vessels. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic variables of collateral vascular circulation are better markers of the functional significance of collateral vessels than is coronary angiography. The total collateral blood flow velocity integral and coronary wedge/aortic pressure ratio are good and independent predictors of the function of collateral vessels producing complementary information.
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the acute physiological gain of adjunctive intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided balloon angioplasty and stent implantation. BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate safe coronary luminal enlargement and "stent-like" long-term outcomes using upsized balloons guided by IVUS. METHODS: After angiographically guided balloon angioplasty in 20 patients with 1-vessel disease and normal left ventricular function, IVUS was performed to determine the size of the adjunctive balloon using the mean of the maximal luminal diameter and the maximal diameter of the external elastic membrane measured in the adjacent proximal and distal reference segments. Serial adenosine-induced hyperemic blood flow velocity measurements were performed using a 0.014" Doppler guide wire to determine the physiological lumen obstruction after standard balloon angioplasty, followed by IVUS-guided balloon angioplasty and stent implantation. RESULTS: Upsized balloon angioplasty (increase balloon size: 0.98 +/- 0.26 mm; balloon:artery ratio 1.35 +/- 0.21) resulted in an additional increase of arterial dimensions: minimal lumen diameter (MLD) 2.18 +/- 0.38 mm to 2.73 +/- 0.51 mm; percent diameter stenosis (%DS) 34 +/- 13% to 19 +/- 22%; IVUS assessed minimal lumen area (MLA) 7.53 +/- 1.55 mm2 to 10.24 +/- 2.22 mm2 (all p < 0.0001). Major dissections (> or = type C) did not occur. Hyperemic blood flow velocity increased from 49.8 +/- 20.1 cm/s to 59.1 +/- 22.9 cm/s (p < 0.05) after IVUS-guided balloon angioplasty. Adjunctive stent implantation resulted in a further increase of MLD to 3.84 +/- 0.51 mm, %DS to -9 +/- 21% and MLA to 13.39 +/- 1.80 mm2 (all p < 0.0001), while hyperemic blood flow velocity remained unchanged (61.2 +/- 24.7 cm/s, p = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Upsized IVUS-guided balloon angioplasty increases arterial coronary dimensions and the distal hyperemic blood flow velocity. Adjunctive stent implantation does not yield a further gain in the hyperemic blood flow velocity, indicating the absence of a functional residual lumen obstruction after IVUS-guided balloon angioplasty. This may explain a similar clinical outcome reported after those coronary interventions.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the acute effect of intracoronary administration of urapidil and saline on myocardial contractility and metabolic activity. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled, open-label study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Eight patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) received normal saline followed by urapidil, 4 mg, injected directly into the left main coronary artery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Because local intracoronary administration is a non-steady-state condition, an in vitro model was used before the clinical experiments to establish the kinetic effects of acute administration of urapidil. The clinical experiments were performed in eight patients with CAD after PTCA. Measurements included a complete hemodynamic profile, coronary sinus blood flow (continuous thermodilution), left ventricular (LV) peak (+) dP/dt, LV peak (-) dP/dt, LV dP/dt/P(D)40, and LV end-diastolic pressures. Arterial and coronary venous blood samples were also obtained for the calculation of myocardial oxygen consumption. Baseline measurements I were first obtained, followed by intracoronary injection of 2 mL of saline. Additional measurements were obtained 1, 5, and 10 minutes after administration of saline. After a resting period (15 minutes), baseline measurements II, and intracoronary injection of urapidil, 4 mg (dissolved in 2 mL saline), additional measurements were obtained 1, 5, and 10 minutes later. Heart rate decreased 2.7+/-3.5 beats/min after injection of saline, whereas heart rate increased 2.0+/-1.8 beats/min after intracoronary urapidil, resulting in a significant difference in treatment effect (p = 0.003). There were no additional differences in treatment effect for any of the other measured or calculated parameters reflecting systemic hemodynamics, LV contractility, coronary dynamics, and myocardial metabolic activity. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that intracoronary bolus administration of preservative-free urapidil, 4 mg, is not associated with any detectable effect on myocardial contractility or coronary smooth muscle in awake nonsurgical patients with CAD, after PTCA.
We report a 30-year old, previously healthy, Ghanese woman admitted with sudden onset of dyspnoe, hemoptoe and right-sided chest pain due to endomyocardial fibrosis with secondary pulmonary emboli Coronary angiography revealed a myocardial "blush". This finding may focus attention to the presence of mural thrombus that may have diagnostic and therapeutic consequences.