[The assessment of the histomorphological characteristics of the arteria gastroepiploica dextra and its potential as an artery for myocardial revascularization].
OBJECTIVE
Comparative analysis of the histomorphological characteristics of left (LIMA) and right (RIMA) internal mammary arteries, right gastroepiploic (RGEA) and anterior descending artery (ADA) with evaluation of the respective prevalence of atherosclerotic changes.


METHODS
Laboratory of Anatomo-Pathology of a Central Hospital with necropsy material obtained from consecutive individuals, deceased of a non-cardiac cause and older than 60 years.


METHODS
In 31 cadaver fragments of the RIMA, LIMA, GEA and ADA, were obtain, subsequently fixed and stained in order to become evident the structure of the medial layer, and the presence of possible atherosclerotic changes (intimal Hyperplasia, cholesterol clefts, foam-cells, inflammatory cells infiltrate, rupture of the internal elastic lamina, medial fibroses and calcifications).


RESULTS
1--The RGEA has the structure of a muscular artery as the ADA, opposed to the LIMA and RIMA that are elastic arteries. 2--The atherosclerotic changes were predominantly found in the ADA with no significative differences in there prevalence in the RIMA, LIMA or RGEA.


CONCLUSIONS
The RGEA despite having histological characteristics diverse than the LIMA and RIMA, has a similar prevalence of atherosclerotic changes and intimal hyperplasia; those allow us to predict a behaviour and a long-term patency comparable, when used as bypass graft for myocardial revascularization.
Roquette
J
J
Serviço de Cirurgia Cárdio-Torácica, Hospital de Santa Marta, Lisboa.
Pinto
E
E
Ferreira
R
R
Ferreira
L
L
Oliveira
J A
JA
da Silva
N
N
Robalo
F
F
Castelão
N
N
Quininha
J
J
Silva
S
S
D000005:Abdomen / Q000098:blood supply*; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence
Avaliação das características histomorfológicas da artéria gastroepiplóica direita e do seu potencial como artéria para revascularização miocárdica.