title: The morphology of the inferior epigastric artery has implications on its use as a conduit for myocardial revascularization.
abstract: The inferior epigastric artery (IEA) is a new arterial graft for myocardial revascularization. We examined the inferior epigastric artery, the internal thoracic artery (ITA) and representative sections of the coronary arteries in 45 postmortem examinations, for microscopic signs of atherosclerosis. In addition, a morphometric evaluation of the intima and media of both conduits was performed. The intima of the ITA is significantly thicker, but atherosclerosis is absent. There are fewer fenestrations/mm in the internal elastic lamina (IEL) (4.00 +/- 1.60 versus 4.62 +/- 1.46) of the IEA and the combined thickness of media and intima is lower (0.20 +/- 0.04 mm versus 0.30 +/- 0.06 mm). However, 24% of IEAs showed medial calcification of variable degrees. We conclude that the IEA should not be used routinely for myocardial revascularization until the long-term patency of this graft has been explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Klinikum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wahba
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Offerdal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Sommoggy
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Birnbaum
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000098:blood supply*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D002114:Calcinosis; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000379:methods*; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation*