Prinzmetal's angina, normal coronary arteries and pericarditis.

A woman with Prinzmetal's variant angina had spontaneous attacks of myocardial ischemia characterized by severe chest pain, hypotension, inferior ST-segment elevation, transient complete heart block and selective right ventricular dysfunction. Despite initial improvement following intravenous administration of atropine and sublingual administration of nitroglycerin she died of cardiogenic shock. Autopsy showed normal coronary arteries and acute pericarditis, more pronounced over the right side of the heart. It is postulated that the pericardial inflammation elicited severe spasm of the subjacent right coronary artery.