[Improvement of angina, quality of life, and working capacity after enhanced external counterpulsation].

This case report describes a 43 year-old woman who had had 15 hospital admissions in six years due to chest pain. Repeated coronary angiography showed no significant stenoses, but myocardial scintigraphy revealed reversible ischaemia. In spite of optimal medical treatment, she was in Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class 3 with a poor quality of life (QoL). After a course of enhanced external counterpulsation the CCS class was reduced to 1, and QoL was significantly improved and remained high for the following three years, resulting in only one hospital admission due to chest pain. The case illustrates that EECP is an efficient therapy for angina pectoris in patients, who are not amenable for invasive procedures.