to be the obvious choice for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. X-ray equipment, coupled with digital capabilities and contrast media injection, seems to provide excellent road maps for vascular interventions. This is demonstrated by innumerable percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) and coronary angioplasties (PTCA). At second glance, however, there are many attractive aspects of vascular...

In our first 169 consecutive patients admitted to undergo percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) serial bicycle ergometric exercise sessions were scheduled to assess long-term-exercise performance. In 160 of these 169 patients (95%) an average of seven ergometric measurements were available during a mean follow-up period of 29 months (range 1 to 60 months). Two groups were formed...

There is no current guideline for percutaneous coronary angioplasty in stenotic ectatic coronary arteries because of the heterogeneity of the coronary artery morphology. We report two successful angioplasty cases in coronary artery ectasia with different clinical scenarios. One case showed atherosclerotic stenosis in the ectatic portion of the right coronary artery that was aggravated after a c...

In 1959, Dr. Mason Sones reported on selective coronary arteriography, a technique that quickly became the standard for precise diagnosis of coronary artery disease. In the early 1960s Drs. Dotter and Judkins introduced the original concept of using a catheter to dilate an atherosclerotic obstruction in a peripheral artery. Now, almost 2 decades later, the selective coronary catheter is being p...

Thrombus exerts a major impact on the performance and outcome of primary and rescue interventions in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Although the optimal treatment of thrombotic lesions is still controversial, thrombus aspiration provides an effective method to achieve successful reperfusion during primary angioplasty. We compared clinical and angiographic outcomes in 286 patients wit...

BACKGROUND Because heterogeneous results have been reported, we assessed coronary flow velocity changes in individuals who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and examined their impact on clinical outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS As part of the Doppler Endpoints Balloon Angioplasty Trial Europe (DEBATE) II study, 379 patients underwent Doppler flow-guided angioplasty. ...

The combination of diagnostic coronary angiography and coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has numerous names. It has been referred to as ad hoc, follow-on, one-time, one-stage, single-stage, single session, diagnostic session, stop and go, or dessert PTCA. "PTCA at first sight" is the term coined for PTCA performed after the first diagnostic coronary angiogram.1 I propose to use the term "ad hoc PTCA"...

Of 552 patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty 102 had coronary artery spasm superimposed on atherosclerotic narrowing. Coronary angioplasty was successful in 97 (95%). The patients were discharged on a regimen of nifedipine (40-60 mg/day). Seventy six patients were symptom free 6-8 months after the procedure. Restenosis was detected in 35% of patients. Coronary arter...

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death. The incidence, causes, pathogenesis, and treatment have not been defined clearly, but spontaneous coronary artery dissection should be considered in young patients without major cardiovascular risk factors or in patients in the peripartum period who present with acute coronary syndrome. T...