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The significance of myocardial bridge upon atherosclerosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery
Author(s) -
Ishii Toshiharu,
Hosoda Yasuhlro,
Osaka Tetsushl,
Imai Tamotsu,
Shimada Hiroyuki,
Takami Akira,
Yamada Hikoaki
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1711480404
Subject(s) - myocardial bridge , medicine , myocardial infarction , cardiology , artery , myocardial bridging , thickening , bridge (graph theory) , coronary arteries , anatomy , coronary angiography , chemistry , polymer science
Abstract The relation between myocardial bridges (MB) and atherosclerosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was explored using morphometric methods in 642 hearts. The location of myocardial bridges in the LAD was classified according to distribution as proximal, middle and distal. Myocardial bridges were found in 48 per cent of males and 36 per cent of females. When proximal myocardial bridging was present intirmal thickening and macroscopic raised lesion were increased just before the bridge as compared with the corresponding site in thc other two categories. Underneath bridges eccentric plaques and raised lesions arc absent althought there is often concentric intimal thickening. The overall frequency of myocardial infarction was the same in patients with and without myocardial bridges However, when infarction occurred in the patients having bridges, it was almost confined to those in the proximal group despite this being infrequent in the general distribution of myocardial bridges in the left anterior descending artery. It is postulated that hypertension may enhances infarction in the case of myocardial bridges in the very proximal left anterior descending artery. It is concluded that the location of myocardial bridges greatly alters the distribution of physical force against the arterial wall and influences the extent of atherosclerosis.