Abstract
Background: It is known that myocardial bridging (MB) has 2 effects on coronary atherosclerosis: (1)impedement of atherosclerosis development in the tunnelised segment; (2) a susceptibility to atherosclerosis proximal to MB. Our purpose was to analyse which of these effects prevail. Methods: Patients with MB on the LAD and atherosclerotic lesions of any degree (N=76) were compared with a randomly selected control group (N=106). Results: Prevalence of MB was 0.5%. 90% of bridges were on the second segment of the LAD. The atherosclerotic load on the left main and the first 2 segments of the LAD were significantly lower in the presence of MB, whereas was similar in all the other segments between the two groups (table). View this table: Comparison between patients with MB and without MB regarding the atherosclerotic load on the main segments of the coronary arteries Conclusions: Although, in some specific circumstances, MB can promote atherosclerosis in the proximal segments of the affected vessel, we have found a lower atherosclerotic load proximal to the bridge. This phenomenon, probably related to the modified hemodynamics induced by MB, was extended beyond the culprit segment.
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