Angioscopy of Culprit Coronary Lesions in Unstable Angina Pectoris and Correlation of Clinical Presentation With Plaque Morphology

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 225 - 228
• Main Authors: Nesto, Richard W, Waxman, Sergio, Mittleman, Murray A, Sassower, Michael A, Fitzpatrick, Philip J, Lewis, Stanley M, Leeman, David E, Shubrooks, Samuel J, Manzo, Karen, Zarich, Stuart W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15.01.1998; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angina pectoris; Angina, Unstable - diagnosis; Angina, Unstable - etiology; Angioscopy; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Thrombosis - complications; Coronary Thrombosis - diagnosis; Coronary Vessels - pathology; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Medical research; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - complications; Prospective Studies; Recurrence; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Vascular disease; Human; Symptomatology; Atherosclerotic plaque; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular disease; Angioscopy; Exploration; Endoscopy; Coronary heart disease; Variant angina
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9149(97)00889-8

This study demonstrates that plaque disruption and thrombus are absent in a considerable number of patients with unstable angina and that culprit lesion morphologies as assessed by angioscopy may differ among the various clinical subsets of patients. Although plaque disruption and thrombus undoubtedly play an important role in the pathogenesis of unstable angina, alternative mechanisms may be responsible for ischemia in some patients.