The frequency of angiographic ectasia in diagnostic coronary angiography at Queen Alia Heart Institute

Abstract EN

Objective: To determine the frequency of coronary artery ectasia, and to describe its clinical features and association with coronary artery disease, among patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography at Queen Alia Heart Institute.

Methods: This is a descriptive, and a retrospective review study which was conducted at Queen Alia Heart Institute on 5000 adult patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography for chest pain suspicious of angina pectoris during the period between 2006 to 2011.

The angiograms reports were reviewed for the presence of coronary artery ectasia, and its manifestations were studied from their medical records.

A specially designed medical record abstract form was used to record the following data: Gender, type of coronary ectasia (diffuse or localized), affect coronaries and association with Stenotic Coronary Artery Disease.

Simple descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, percentage) were used to describe the study variables.

Results: The total number of cardiac angiograms studied was 5000 cases.

One hundred-forty patients (2.8%) had coronary ectasia.

Males constituted the majority (87.1%) of the affected patients.

Isolated right coronary artery ectasia was the commonest (36.4%), but isolated left main ectasia was rare (2.1%).

Ectasia involving all the coronary arteries was found in 19.3% of patients.

Diffuse coronary ectasia was found in two thirds of the angiograms, and associated coronary artery disease was found in 56.4% of the ectatic coronaries.

Conclusion: Coronary Artery Ectasia is a well recognized and uncommon clinical entity.

The diffuse type is more common than the localized one.

Right coronary artery is more affected than other coronaries.

Multivessel ectasia and coronary stenoses were common in our study patients.

Recognition of Coronary Artery Ectasia at angiography is essential for proper therapy and appropriate follow-up for secondary prevention of Coronary Artery Disease.

Key words: Angiography, Coronary Artery Ectasia, Queen Alia Heart Institute