December 2004
|Volume 16 Issue 12
Acute ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the main causes of morbidity, hospitalization and consequently increases healthcare costs. The primary goal of therapy in STEMI is to regain patency of the culprit vessel (TIMI…
The progressive nature of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is now well recognized.1–8 Observational data suggests that untreated renal artery stenosis can lead to progressive hypertension, renal insufficiency, and increased mortality.6,9–11 The…
Intravascular contrast is a prerequisite for modern invasive cardiology. The contrast agents used for various procedures have become increasingly safe in recent years. Compared to ionic agents, the modern non-ionic contrast agents are fairly well tol…
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article by Diaz et al. contains extremely valuable information. The importance of assessing the “dynamic anatomy” of the popliteal artery (and other vessels) was only recently appreciated as a result of developments with endovascu…
Case report. A 70-year-old woman with a history of smoking, hypertension and hyperlipidemia was referred for evaluation of exertional angina that had developed over the preceding 6 months. Thirteen years earlier, she had undergone balloon angioplasty…
Subclavian artery stenoses can, in patients who have undergone previous left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to left anterior descending (LAD) bypass grafting, lead to coronary-subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS).1 This occurs when a proximal subclavian…
Direct stenting is a feasible and safe technique, which may reduce the procedure time, cost and radiation exposure as well as result with less vessel injury. However, it is not suitable for coronary lesions with excessive calcification, severe proxim…
Coronary artery perforation is a rare but potentially catastrophic complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).1–3 The availability of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) covered stents made a significant impact on the treatment of this compl…
The following special CME section is underwritten through an educational grant from Bracco Diagnostics
The first cardiac catheterization reported occurred in 1929 in Germany, performed by Dr. Werner Forssmann.1 After anesthetizing his own arm and pe…
The possible role of estrogen in coronary artery disease (CAD) has been extensively studied. Prospective randomized clinical trials have not substantiated a beneficial role for estrogen in CAD. The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Study follow-up (HERS I…