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Variant or Prinzmetal's angina pectoris due to coronary artery spasm has gained recognition as an important clinical diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Laboratory investigations worldwide have given us a better understanding of this disorder; this knowledge has resulted in uncovering new, effective therapeutic regimens. Coronary spasm has been implicated in a variety of clinical anginal syndromes and most importantly as a potential contributing cause of myocardial infarction.
Chahine, one of the early investigators of coronary spasm, has edited and written a multiauthored text on the subject of coronary artery spasm. While not an exhaustive scientific treatise on the subject, the book is well organized, well balanced, and covers all of the important aspects of the subject.
The highlight of the book is the chapter by MacAlpin, who presents, in clear terms, the dilemmas that face a clinician in defining what coronary spasm is and how it should be classified. The chapters