CORONARY ARTERY VASOSPASM

Course overview

CORONARY ARTERY VASOSPASM (CAVS) IS A CONSTRICTION OF THE CORONARY ARTERIES THAT CAN CAUSE COMPLETE OR NEAR-COMPLETE OCCLUSION OF THE VESSEL. IN 1959, DR. MYRON PRINZMETAL DESCRIBED A DIFFERENT ENTITY OF ANGINA THAN THE CLASSIC HEBERDEN'S ANGINA WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY DESCRIBED IN 1772. THIS VASOSPASTIC DISEASE CAN CAUSE ACUTE ISCHEMIA AND PRESENT ANYWHERE ALONG THE SPECTRUM OF ANGINA FROM STABLE ANGINA TO ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME. CAVS APPEARS TO BE A HETEROGENEOUS DISEASE BUT DOES NOT FOLLOW THE TRADITIONAL RISK FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CLINICAL EVALUATION OF CORONARY ARTERY VASOSPASM AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN COORDINATING THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.