The Straight Wire Sign: recognizing guidewire exit during percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion.

Coronary perforation during PCI may be life threatening. Use of stiff wires during instrumentation of totally occluded arteries is a contributing factor. The "Straight Wire" sign presented here was realized from a case of coronary perforation encountered at our cath lab. The identification of this sign in another patient prompted immediate response and avoided further complications.