Objective: To study the common clinical manifestations of in-stent restenosis.
Methods: Of 431 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and repeat catheterization between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2002, 236 consecutive patients with recurrent ischemia and restenosis were identified: 188 patients with (group I) and 48 without (group II) stenting. Patients who developed early acute stent thrombosis were excluded from the study. In the study we compared the clinical manifestations of in-stent restenosis with those of restenosis without stenting.
Results: Recurrent clinical ischemia occurred at a mean of 5.3 months in group I and 6.1 months in group II (P > 0.05). Rest angina (Braunwald class 2 and 3, 43% vs 27%, P < 0.05), the combination of rest angina and acute myocardial infarction (43% vs 27%, P < 0.05), and angiographically visible thrombosis (7% vs 0%, P < 0.05) were more frequent in group I than in group II.
Conclusion: Acute coronary syndromes are the common clinical manifestations of restenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and occur more frequently in patients with in-stent stenosis than in those with restenosis without stenting.