Prognostic Significance of Coronary Collaterals in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease Having Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

We examined the presence and extent of coronary collaterals as a prognostic determinant of cardiovascular outcome in a prospective case-cohort study of 655 patients admitted for elective coronary angioplasty. In patients with ischemic heart disease, the angiographic presence of coronary collaterals may mark an unfavorable prognosis, particularly in relatively high-risk patients.