Reliability of exercise-induced ST segment changes to detect restenosis 3 months after coronary angioplasty: significance of the appearance in other leads

Am Heart J. 1998 Jan;135(1):74-81. doi: 10.1016/s0002-8703(98)70345-x.

Abstract

Exercise-induced ST-segment changes 3 months after angioplasty sometimes may show a false-positive result. We therefore analyzed the ST changes observed during the exercise tests performed before and 3 months after angioplasty in 118 patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease. Ninety-two (78%) of the 118 patients had ST changes in the same lead before and after angioplasty, whereas the remaining 26 (22%) patients had ST changes in other leads in the postangioplasty exercise test when compared with the preangioplasty test. Restenosis was found in 44 (48%) of the 92 patients with ST changes in the same lead but in only 4 (15%) of the 26 patients with ST changes in other leads. We conclude that exercise-induced ST segment changes are not reliable markers of restenosis 3 months after angioplasty. ST segment changes observed in other leads after angioplasty may show a false-positive result when compared with the preangioplasty exercise test.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Disease / diagnosis*
  • Coronary Disease / therapy
  • Electrocardiography* / instrumentation
  • Electrodes
  • Exercise Test*
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Gated Blood-Pool Imaging
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Recurrence
  • Reproducibility of Results