The prevalence and clinical profile of Angiographic Coronary Ectasia

• Published in: Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association Vol. 61; no. 4; pp. 372 - 375
• Main Authors: SULTANA, Riffat, SULTANA, Nuzhat, ISHAQ, Muhammad, SAMAD, Abdus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Karachi Pakistan Medical Association 01-04-2011
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac Catheterization; Chest Pain - pathology; Coronary Aneurysm - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Aneurysm - epidemiology; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Dilatation, Pathologic - classification; Dilatation, Pathologic - diagnostic imaging; Dilatation, Pathologic - drug therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; General aspects; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Symptomatology; Tropical medicine; Prevalence; Epidemiology; Ectasia; Coronary artery
• ISSN: 0030-9982

To determine the incidence of Coronary Artery Ectasia (CAE) at our teaching hospital to describe the patients and angiographic characteristics.
A retrospective analysis was conducted on all coronary angiograms performed at the catheterization laboratory of Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, a tertiary care center, between the period of August 2006 and August 2008. A one year follow up was performed to look for primary and secondary endpoints. Data were collected from catheterization films, and medical records.
Five thousand coronary angiograms were performed during the periof of the study. A total of 140 (2.8%) angiograms showed coronary ectasia of both mixed and pure types. Pure ectasia with no coronary obstructive lesions was seen in 75 (1.5%). The left anterior descending artery (LAD) was the most commonly affected vessel (63%) followed by the right coronary artery (RCA) 25% and 10% patients had circumflex artery involvement. The primary composite endpoint showed 6 (4.2%) patients with non-ST elevation MI, 5 (3.6%) with ST elevation inferior wall myocardial infarction, 70 (50%) with unstable angina and 2 (1.4%) deaths due to pulmonary oedema. Secondary endpoints showed 50% of the patients still complaining of chest pain.
Prevalence of Coronary ectasia in the population presenting to KIHD during the study period was 1.5%. Majority of patients were males, associated with dyslipidaemia, hypertension and smoking. CAE was associated with obstructive coronary artery disease in about 80% of cases. LAD was the most commonly affected vessel.