PRINZMETAL ANGINA

Abstract

Variant angina (VA), first described by Prinzmetal in 1959, is caused by transient and recurrent coronary spasm and leads to repetitive episodes of transmural myocardial ischemia. A 59-year-old man with a history of hyperlipidemia and anterior myocardial infarction, which had occurred three months previously and was being treated with fibrinolytics, referred to our hospital with acute sub sternal chest pain and ST elevation in the anterior leads. Coronary angiography showed coronary spasm, and the patient was relieved after nitrate administration.