Evolution of myocardial ischemia and left ventricular function in patients with angina pectoris without myocardial infarction and total occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery and collaterals from other coronary arteries.

Repeated episodes of myocardial ischemia might lead to progressive impairment of left ventricular (LV) function. This radionuclide study assessed myocardial ischemia and LV function several years after documented coronary occlusion without myocardial infarction. Over 5 years, 24 consecutive patients, who underwent cardiac catheterization for angina pectoris without myocardial infarction, had isolated total occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery with well-developed collateral vessels. Five patients were successfully treated by coronary bypass grafting and 3 by coronary angioplasty. Among the 16 medically treated patients, 1 was lost to follow-up and 1 died (extracardiac death). The mean (+/- standard deviation) follow-up (14 patients) was 48 +/- 15 months. At follow-up, 8 patients still had clinical chest pain, 11 received antianginal therapy, 4 patients had no stress ischemia and the other 10 had greater than or equal to 1 sign of stress ischemia. All patients had a normal LV ejection fraction at rest (mean 60 +/- 3%; range 55 to 65%). Collateral circulation preserves LV function at the time of occlusion and, in some cases, prevents the development of myocardial ischemia; in patients with persisting myocardial ischemia after well-collateralized coronary occlusion, LV function is not impaired at long-term follow-up.