Michaelides A P, Dilaveris P E, Psomadaki Z D, Aggelakas S, Stefanadis C, Cokkinos D, Gialafos J, Toutouzas P K
Department of Cardiology, University of Athens Medical School, Hippokration Hospital, Greece.
Am Heart J. 1998 Jan;135(1):74-81. doi: 10.1016/s0002-8703(98)70345-x.
Exercise-induced ST-segment changes 3 months after angioplasty sometimes may show a false-positive result. We therefore analyzed the ST changes observed during the exercise tests performed before and 3 months after angioplasty in 118 patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease. Ninety-two (78%) of the 118 patients had ST changes in the same lead before and after angioplasty, whereas the remaining 26 (22%) patients had ST changes in other leads in the postangioplasty exercise test when compared with the preangioplasty test. Restenosis was found in 44 (48%) of the 92 patients with ST changes in the same lead but in only 4 (15%) of the 26 patients with ST changes in other leads. We conclude that exercise-induced ST segment changes are not reliable markers of restenosis 3 months after angioplasty. ST segment changes observed in other leads after angioplasty may show a false-positive result when compared with the preangioplasty exercise test.
