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Clinical Experience of Percutaneous Coronary Angioscopy in Cases with Coronary Artery DiseaseFirst Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Mie, Japan Direct visualization of the coronary arteries was performed by using a new ultrathin angioscopic catheter system in experimental animals and 4 patients with coronary artery disease during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). In this catheter system, inspection of the coronary arteries was achieved during washout of blood by bolus infusion of 8-10 ml of saline into the coronary artery through the guide catheter. In the preliminary experience with this coronary angioscopic system, there were some limitations. In 2 patients, removal of coronary blood by manual injection of saline was not adequate, and diagnostic TV images could not be obtained. In 2 patients with tortuous coronary arteries, the catheter could not pass to the atheromatous plaques owing to lack of flexibility of the fiberoptic catheter. Furthermore, angina pectoris occurred in 2 patients during angioscopy, owing probably to interference with coronary blood flow by the guide catheter and/or fiberoptic catheter itself. For future clinical applications of coronary angioscopy, further improvements in the instrument are necessary.
Angiology, Vol. 40, No. 1,
18-23 (1989) |
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