Microvascular Angina: Definition, Clinical Significance, and Overview
Microvascular Angina is chest pain (angina) caused by dysfunction of the heart’s small coronary vessels rather than major coronary artery blockages. It is a clinical syndrome in cardiology that sits at the intersection of ischemic heart disease, coronary physiology, and symptom assessment. It is commonly discussed when patients have angina-like symptoms but non-obstructive coronary arteries on angiography or coronary CT angiography (CCTA). It is also used in the evaluation of ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) and related coronary microvascular dysfunction.