Coronary collateral blood-flow velocity improves with repeated coronary occlusions during angioplasty in patients with coronary artery disease and systemic hypertension

Vulnerability of myocardial collateral perfusion: the impact of episodic hypertension

In patients with coronary artery disease, the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy secondary to hypertension is associated with an increased collateral development. A patient is described who was admitted for myocardial ischemia and severe hypertension. One day after admission, coronary angiography revealed a proximal chronic occlusion of the left anterior descending artery with an extensive collateral vascularization originating from the right and circumflex coronary arteries. In addition, left ventriculography showed antero-apical akinesia that was resolved 5 days later, indicating myocardial stunning. This case illustrates the vulnerability of collateral coronary blood flow to an episode of hypertension, giving rise to myocardial ischemia and even myocardial stunning. This finding advocates aggressive antihypertensive therapy in patients with coronary artery disease and regional myocardial perfusion, which exclusively depends on collateral blood flow.