Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Coronary artery spasm

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Variant angina; Angina - variant; Prinzmetal's angina


Symptoms

Spasm may be "silent" -- without symptoms -- or it may result in chest pain or angina. If the spasm lasts long enough, it may even cause a heart attack.

The main symptom is a type of chest pain called angina, which can be felt under the chest bone and is described as:

  • Constricting
  • Crushing
  • Pressure
  • Squeezing
  • Tightness

It is usually severe. The pain may spread to the neck, jaw, shoulder, or arm.

The pain:

  • Often occurs at rest
  • May occur at the same time each day, usually between midnight and 8:00 AM
  • Lasts from 5 to 30 minutes

The person may lose consciousness.

Unlike angina that is caused by hardening of the coronary arteries, chest pain and shortness of breath are often not present when you walk or exercise.


Signs and tests

Tests to diagnose coronary artery spasm may include:

  • Coronary angiography
  • ECG
  • Echocardiography

Review Date: 05/21/2010
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)