title: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of a coronary artery stenosis at the site of myocardial bridging.
abstract: The incidence of myocardial bridging observed at angiography (0.5-16%) is far less than at pathologic study (greater than 50%). Myocardial bridging is felt to have a 'protective effect' on the coronary artery at the site of bridging, and significant atherosclerosis within the bridge is almost never seen at pathologic examination. To date, there have been no reports of significant atherosclerosis at the site of angiographically documented myocardial bridging. We report a unique case of an angioplasty of a left anterior descending artery stenosis within a myocardial bridge. This report also discusses the possible difference in the protective effect of myocardial bridging that is seen at angiography and myocardial bridging that is only appreciated pathologically but not angiographically.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, Worcester.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Laifer
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*