Absent Initial QWave: Could It Be A Predictor Of Proximal Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Lesion?

Background- This study was performed to determine whether absence of initial septal q waves in ECG leads correlates with significant (more than 50%) stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Methods- One hundred seventy patients who were referred to the catheterization department for coronary angiography were chosen randomly. All the cases had a standard twelve-lead ECG before angiography. According to their ECG, they were divided into two groups: group A: 69 cases who did not have septal q wave and group B: 101 cases who had q waves. Results- Forty-one patients in group A and 14 patients in group B had significant lesions in the proximal LAD ( P value 0.001 and 0.05). Statistical analysis showed that in group A, significant lesion in the proximal LAD could be predicted with 51.9% sensitivity and 62.2% specificity. Conclusion- Absence of a normal q wave in the ECG of patients selected for coronary angiography could be a reliable predictor of a significant lesion in the proximal LAD coronary artery (Iranian Heart Journal 2007; 8 (1): 20-23).