Coronary artery ectasia as a culprit for acute myocardial infarction: review of pathophysiology and management.

Coronary artery ectasia as a culprit for acute myocardial infarction: review of pathophysiology and management. Anadolu Kardiyol Derg. 2013 Sep 26; Authors: Boles U, Rakhit R, Shiu MF, Patel K, Henein M Abstract Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as localized coronary dilatation, which exceeds the diameter of normal adjacent segments or the diameter of the patient's largest coronary vessel by 1.5 times. The pathophysiology of CAE remains unclear as its relationship with atherosclerosis remains only modestly established. The histological variances and conflicting reports of the role of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, also, weakens the significance of such association. The slow coronary flow (CSF) of CAE may lead to ischemic and thrombotic events, a mechanism that has never been fully elucidated, but may play a fundamental role in its pathogenesis. While pure, non-atherosclerotic, CAE is believed to have better prognosis when compared to atherosclerotic obstructive CAE, it is thought that CAE is not a simple condition but rather has an adverse clinical course. Nevertheless, long-term prognosis and outcome of CAE is similar to atherosclerotic-non-CAE. Since CAE was first described, oral anticoagulants have been considered as a valid treatment option. Dual antiplatelet therapy is widely employed in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which also applies to CAE patients presenting with ACS. However, there is a significant uncertainty about...
Source: The Anatolian Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Anadolu Kardiyol Derg Source Type: research