Prodromal symptoms in myocardial infarction.

Sampson and Eliaser in an article entitled " The Diagnosis of Impending Acute Coronary Arterial Occlusion " in 1937 described 29 cases " exhibiting attacks of prxcordial pain of prolonged duration which," they considered, " might represent a precursor phenomenon of characteristic acute coronary arterial occlusion." Feil, in the same year, described fifteen more cases of this syndrome, which he named " preliminary pain in coronary thrombosis." Brill in 1938, in a review of earlier clinical reports on the subject, points out that, although the concept appeared new, it had already received mention by earlier authors and quotes Herrick (1912), Parkinson and Bedford (1928), Levine (1929), Willius (1936), and Conner and Holt (1930), who mention the occurrence of transitory chest pain before myocardial infarction of a nature different from previous anginal attacks. More recently, Langston (1939) has described a small series and Yater (1948) a large series of 60 cases in a review of coronary artery disease in men under the age of forty. It is interesting to note that, among earlier authors, Caleb Parry in 1799, described a case which, in the light of present knowledge, almost certainly belonged to this group.