Coronary Artery Spasm, Part II Basic Aspects

Abstract

Despite considerable research effort, the pathogenesis of coronary vasospasm has not yet been fully elucidated. In this chapter we review the general hypothesis of vasospastic coronary artery behavior, present the current experimental models, and discuss potential clinical applications. Glossary of Terms Coronary vasospasmState of functional hemodynamically relevant narrowing of a coronary artery due to hypercontraction of smooth muscle cells of the coronary artery walls.