Table 1 Coronary artery diseases categorised according to major pathological sequelae.

Fixed stenosis

• Atherosclerosis, congenital anomalies, iatrogenic (irradiation, cardiac transplantation, PCI related trauma), FMD, external compression

Aneurysm

• Atherosclerosis, vasculitis (immune, infectious), congenital anomalies, FMD, iatrogenic

Dissection

• Atherosclerosis, spontaneous (including pregnancy related), iatrogenic (traumatic, PCI related), vasculitis, connective tissue disorders (Marfan, Ehlers–Danlos), metabolic disorders

Thrombus/embolus

• Atherosclerosis, vasculitis, tumour, endocarditis, FMD, drug abuse (cocaine, crack)

Small vessel disease

• Vasculitis, FMD, storage disease (amyloid, Fabry disease), diabetes (?), cardiac transplantation, drug abuse (cocaine, crack), microvascular thrombus (inherited, autoimmune) or embolus (atheroma), microvascular sludge (leukaemia, sickle cell disease)

Spasm

• Normal coronary artery or superimposed on fixed stenosis or thrombus, drug abuse

FMD, fibromuscular dysplasia; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention.