Intimal thickenings in the inferior epigastric artery and coronary bypass.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the inferior epigastric artery and the development of pathological intimal thickenings.


METHODS
The inferior epigastric artery structure was studied with conventional histology techniques, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and morphometry.


RESULTS
The inferior epigastric artery develops 2 types of intimal thickenings: physiological and pathological. In our study, the pathological or atherosclerotic thickenings in this artery were not very common: they were present in 28% of the analysed cases. Vessel flow was not affected as shown by the intimal thickness index (I.T.I.) and the lumen reduction index (L.R.I.). The alpha-actin technique confirmed the role of the smooth muscle cells in the genesis of the thickening. Furthermore, histochemistry demonstrated that the extracellular matrix is rich in highly sulphated acid mucopolysaccharides.


CONCLUSIONS
The inferior epigastric artery seems to be a good candidate for grafting in coronary revascularization because of the low susceptibility to thickening of its intima and the minimal repercussion on its blood flow.
Cisneros
Ana I
AI
Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain. aicisner@posta.unizar.es
Whyte
Jaime R
JR
Torres
Ana
A
Alconchel
M Dolores
MD
Sarrat
René
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D019074:Epigastric Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000033:anatomy & histology*