Prevalence of angiographically significant coronary artery disease in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis.

OBJECTIVE

In order to evaluate the prevalence of angiographically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with predominant mitral stenosis (mitral valve area < or = 1.5 cm2), coronary angiograms of the 837 consecutive patients with mitral stenosis (482 women and 355 men; median age = 50 years [ranging from 35 to 77]) were retrospectively analysed.

RESULTS

Significant CAD was defined as at least 50% diameter narrowing of a major coronary artery. Significant CAD was detected in 63 patients (7.5%, 30 men and 33 women). Patients with CAD were significantly older than those without CAD (median: 59 vs. 49 years; p < 0.0001, respectively). With respect to coronary risk factors, diabetes mellitus (28.6% vs. 9.4%; p < 0.0001), hypertension (46% vs. 16.7%; p < 0.0001) and family history of CAD (34.9% vs. 17.3%; p = 0.001) were significantly more frequent in the CAD+ group as compared to the CAD- group. Serum levels of cholesterol were significantly higher in CAD+ group as compared to the CAD-patients (median: 199 vs. 176 mg/dl; p = 0.003). No significant differences were noted between the two groups in both serum levels of HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.12) and triglycerides (p = 0.08). Of the 63 patients with CAD, 21 (33.3%) had angina pectoris (AP) and, in patients free of CAD, AP was present in 106 (13.7%). The sensitivity and specificity of AP for the presence of significant CAD were 33.3% and 86.3%, respectively. The positive predictive value of AP for the presence of CAD was 16.5% and the negative predictive value of its absence was 94.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that routine coronary angiography is not necessarily indicated in predominant mitral stenosis particularly in patients who are younger than 40 years and have no coronary risk factors and typical chest pain.