Role of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with variant angina and coexistent coronary stenosis refractory to maximal medical therapy

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed with initial success in 7 patients with variant angina and significant (>60%) coronary stenosis. The mean degree of stenosis was reduced from 77 ±12% to 29 ±15% and the mean systolic pressure gradient from 78 ±18 to 25 ±9 mmHg. Apart from a reversible spasm in one patient, PTCA was free of acute complications. Despite long‐term treatment with nifedi‐pine, nitrates, and warfarin (patients 1 to 5) or aspirin (patients 6 and 7) restenoses occurred in 4 of 7 patients. An aortocoronary bypass was necessary in 2 patients, 3 respectively 6 weeks after PTCA because of tighter re‐stenoses than before PTCA. Another patient underwent successful repeat angioplasty after 6 weeks and remained improved. During a mean follow‐up observation of 21 months (6 to 30 months), 4 patients were asymptomatic, even without medication. In one of these patients, the follow‐up angiography (6 months after PTCA) demonstrated a restenosis. These results suggest that PTCA can be performed without a higher risk of acute complications in patients with variant angina. Although the recurrence rate is high in these patients, sustained clinical improvement was achieved in a substantial percentage of patients in our study.