Syndrome X: radionuclide studies of myocardial perfusion in patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteriograms

Syndrome X: does it exist?

“…We agree with the opinion of Rosen and Camici [9] that strict criteria should be used to achieve this. Moreover, since the introduction of the term syndrome X, many investigators have used it with different criteria as to its definition in order to create a more homogeneous group of patients.…”

“…Some of the patients have a positive exercise test, with or without accompanying angina, whereas others do not [3][4][5]. In a former editorial in this journal, Rosen and Camici described and commented on several studies concerning myocardial perfusion in patients with syndrome X and concluded that there is no unequivocal proof of myocardial perfusion abnormalities [9]. Moreover, some patients have regional perfusion defects and/or regional ventricular wall motion abnormalities, whereas perfusion and wall motion are normal in other patients [3].…”

Coronary vasodilator reserve, pain perception, and sex in patients with syndrome X.

“…The reasons for these discrepancies, which we believe to be due principally to factors linked with patient selection and/or the methodologies used, have been discussed in detail elsewhere. 36 Is the Distribution of Myocardial Blood Flow Values in Syndrome X Unimodal?…”