Bypass graft for coronary arterial stenosis following radiation therapy.

A 48-year-old man developed symptoms of progressive angina pectoris leading to myocardial infarction 12 years after two large doses of radiation for treatment of superior vena caval syndrome. Angiographic studies showed an isolated critical stenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery, for which a successful surgical procedure for saphenous vein bypass graft was was performed. Coronary arterial stenosis following radiation therapy has been reported rarely, but this case supports the thesis that such lesion can be treated surgically.