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A case who developed rupture in a diagonal branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is reported here. The present case was 80-year-old man with severe focal stenosis of the LAD at its junction with a diagonal branch. PTCA for the LAD lesion was successfully performed, but occlusion of the diagonal branch developed later. A subsequent ECG showed elevation of an ST segment in a VL, and PTCA for the diagonal branch was attempted. A 018 Hi-torque floppy guide wire was introduced into the occluded diagonal branch, and its dilatation was attempted using a 2 mm Simpson-Robert catheter. During a maximal pressure of 120 psi, a deformity was found at the distal end of the balloon. Post-PTCA angiograms showed rupture of the diagonal arterial branch, and mild to moderate pericardial effusion was observed by echocardiography. The patient experienced transient hypotension (60 mmHg at systolic), but his condition gradually stabilized after the administration of only a pressor medication. Neither pericardiocentesis nor emergency surgery was performed. The next day, follow-up angiograms showed diagonal branch occlusion at the proximal portion of the rupture site. His clinical course was satisfactory with spontaneous resolution of pericardial effusion and mild elevation of his cardiac enzymes (CPK = 243IU). In this case, it was concluded that the cause of coronary arterial rupture was the difference in diameters of the coronary artery (1 mm) and the balloon catheter (2 mm). This was the first rupture case experienced among 750 PTCA sites (0.13%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)