Coronary Arteriography

A Study of 100 Cases with Angiographically Proved Coronary Artery Disease

¹ Director, Monsignor Toomey Cardiopulmonary Laboratory and Research Department, St. Joseph's Hospital
² Assistant Director in Cardiovascular Research, Monsignor Toomey Cardiopulmonary Laboratory and Research Department, St. Joseph's Hospital

We have analyzed the angiographic and electrocardiographic data of 100 patients with clinical diagnosis of coronary artery disease, in all of whom coronary obstructive atherosclerotic involvement could be demonstrated by cine coronary arteriography. The presence of disease has been classified according to the documented reduction of lumen diameter: from first degree lesion, when only a barely appreciable irregularity was observed, to fifth degree lesion when there was complete occlusion of the vessel. Second, third and fourth degree lesions were respectively those showing 50, 75 and 90 per cent reduction of lumen diameter. The right coronary artery appeared more frequently involved than the other two main trunks. Only 27 patients (46 per cent) with complete occlusions presented electrocardiograms indicating a transmural necrosis, whereas in nine cases (16 per cent) the tracings were considered normal. The electrocardiogram appeared to underestimate the severity and widespread nature of the disease, when compared to the data obtained with coronary arteriography.