[Angina with long-standing coronary T waves].

The clinical significance of long-standing (greater than or equal to 24 hours) coronary T waves without abnormal Q waves was evaluated in 24 patients with angina. They were categorized in two groups; 11 with ST elevation followed by coronary T waves (Group A), and 13 with coronary T waves alone (Group B). 1. The patients had long-standing or repetitive episodes of rest angina, with clinical features of unstable angina in all but one. Fifty-five % of patients in Group A and 85% in Group B had histories of effort angina. 2. Significant (greater than or equal to twice the upper normal) elevation of serum CPK value was observed in 36% of patients in Group A and in 46% in Group B. There was no correlation between the maximum CPK value and the number of leads with the coronary T wave. 3. Coronary angiography demonstrated significant (greater than 50%) coronary artery stenosis in 27% of patients in Group A and in 77% in Group B. The incidence of severe stenosis was greater in Group B than in Group A. Angioplasty was performed in 9% of patients in Group A and in 38% in Group B. 4. During the average follow-up period of 27 months, there was one cardiac event (unstable angina) in Group A, two events (one sudden death and one unstable angina) in Group B. Each cardiac event occurred after the patients themselves discontinued their medications. This was not related to the severity of coronary artery stenosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)