A review of patients with a normal coronary angiogram over a 3-year period

• Published in: Singapore medical journal Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 455 - 459
• Main Authors: LIM, Y. T, CHOO, M. H, KON, K, YAN, P, YEOH, J. K, SOO, C. S, LIM, M, LING, L. H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Singapore Medical Association 01.10.1992
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - physiology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease - pathology; Coronary Disease - physiopathology; Coronary Vessels - pathology; Coronary Vessels - physiopathology; Diastole; Electrocardiography; Exercise Test; Female; Gated Blood-Pool Imaging; Heart; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Human; Cardiovascular disease; Exploration; Angiography; Radiodiagnosis; Coronary heart disease
• ISSN: 0037-5675

Over a period of 36 months, we detected 54 patients with normal coronary arteries or non-critical coronary artery stenosis within our study series of coronary angiography. We studied these patients to determine their clinical, electrocardiographic, stress testing and angiocardiographic characteristics. We detected among them a preponderance of female sex and a higher incidence of ethnic Indians. The majority of the patients studied had one or more coronary risk factors. 52% had a normal resting ECG. In those with a positive stress test and reports available for review, there is a near equal distribution of horizontal and J-type ST depression. Those patients with a positive treadmill tend to have a higher left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) at cardiac catheterization. We also noted in this group of patients a higher proportion with a small distal left anterior descending artery. These patients also tend to have higher LVEDP even in the presence of normal left ventriculogram. Our current series suggests the possibility of raised left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and the presence of a "small distal left anterior descending artery" syndrome in association with patients with a 'false positive' treadmill test.