title: [Influence of the myocardial bridging phenomenon on the myocardial structure and the coronary arteries wall structure changes].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our research was performed to evaluate the influences of the myocardial bridgings of coronary arteries on the myocardial and coronary arteries wall structure chages, that could be a reason for multiple heart malfunctions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the autopsy material, collected during a five-years period, and especially the group of 575 cases with the major aim to diagnose mors naturalis. In all cases with the presence of myocardial bridge over the arterial coronary wall revealed at autopsy, samples were taken for microscopic verification and examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found myocardial bridges over the coronary arteries or their major branches in 27 of the cases (4.70%). We believe that myocardial bridges compromise coronary perfusion by cyclic compression of the overbridged vessels, and that it could be the initial factor in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerotic degeneration processes on the coronary artery wall. We found different grades of arteriosclerotic changes in 88.89% of the cases, as well as fibrosis of myocardium in 88.89% and lipomatosis in 66.67% of the cases with the present myocardial bridges.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that myocardial bridging of coronary arteries and/or their branches was the pathological and even lethal phenomenon that de serves more intensive clinical evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Medicinski fakultet, Institut za ginekologiju i akuserstvo, Beograd. vlajko@eunet.yu
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomanović-Koković
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teofilovski-Parapid
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oklobdzija
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kanjuhl
authors.forename: Slobodan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kovacević
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parapid
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koković
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*