Relation of spontaneous reperfusion in ST-elevation myocardial infarction to more distal coronary culprit narrowings.

Spontaneous reperfusion (SR) of the infarct-related artery may occur in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs). Limited data are available on the angiographic characteristics of these patients. The objective of this study was to determine if there are differences in the distance of the culprit lesion from the coronary ostium in patients with STEMIs with and without SR. Patients who presented with acute STEMIs<12 hours after pain onset and who underwent coronary angiography were entered into the study. Measurement of the distance from the coronary ostium to the culprit lesion was performed. A total of 469 patients with STEMIs were included in the study, of whom 77 met criteria for SR (significant relief of chest pain associated with >or=50% resolution of ST-segment elevation on follow-up electrocardiography) and 392 did not. A highly significant difference was seen in ostial to culprit lesion distance, with the culprit lesions in the SR group being more distal than those in the non-SR group (45+/-22 vs 39+/-20 mm, p<0.009). In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrate that the location of the culprit lesion in patients with STEMIs who undergo SR is more distal in the involved artery than in patients with STEMIs who do not undergo SR.