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Abstract

Myocardial bridging is a clinically uncommon congenital anomaly characterized by tunneling of the coronary artery within the myocardial tissue, usually seen in the left anterior descending artery. Myocardial bridging is associated with altered intracoronary hemodynamics during systole and diastole, determined by the severity and the location of the bridging within the coronary artery. Patients with myocardial bridging may present with angina in the absence of other coronary risk factors which may paradoxically improve with exercise due to an increased intrasystolic pressure, preventing vessel compression. It is uncommon to have bridging in the right coronary artery; it is even more uncommon to have right coronary artery bridging with angina and significant ECG changes. We present a case involving bridging of the right coronary artery with significant symptoms and ECG changes. Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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Most cited references 8

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Myocardial bridging and milking effect of the left anterior descending coronary artery: normal variant or obstruction?

Jacques Noble, Martial Bourassa, Robert Petitclerc … (1976)

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Functional, angiographic and intracoronary Doppler flow characteristics in symptomatic patients with myocardial bridging: effect of short-term intravenous beta-blocker medication.

Ernst R. Schwarz, Heinrich Klues, Jürgen vom Dahl … (1996)

We sought to define the effects of short-term beta-adrenergic blocking medication on intracoronary flow characteristics, clinical symptoms and angiographic diameter changes in patients with severe myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Controversy exists regarding the pathophysiology, clinical relevance and optimal therapy in symptomatic patients with myocardial bridges because antianginal drugs have not been systematically tested. In 15 symptomatic patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery, maximal lumen diameter reductions were evaluated by quantitative coronary angiography. There were no angiographic signs of coronary artery disease. Coronary blood flow velocities (using a 0.014-in. [0.035 cm] Doppler guide wire) were measured at rest, during atrial pacing and during intravenous administration of a short-acting beta-blocker (esmolol, 50 to 500 micrograms/kg body weight per min) with continuous atrial pacing. The maximal angiographic systolic lumen diameter reduction within the myocardial bridges was 83 +/- 9% at rest, with a persistent diastolic diameter reduction of 41 +/- 11% (mean +/- SD). Short-term intravenous beta-blocker therapy decreased the diameter reduction during both systole (from 83 +/- 9% to 62 +/- 11%) and diastole (from 41 +/- 11% to 30 +/- 9%, both p < 0.001). The average diastolic peak flow velocity was higher within the myocardial bridges (33 +/- 13 cm/s) than the proximal (26 +/- 13 cm/s) and distal bridges (17 +/- 4 cm/s, both p < 0.001). During tachypacing, average diastolic peak flow velocity increased within the bridged segments to 63 +/- 21 cm/s versus 29 +/- 12 cm/s in the proximal and 20 +/- 4 cm/s in the distal bridges (both p < 0.001). Beta-receptor blockade produced a return to baseline values (average diastolic peak flow velocity within bridge 35 +/- 16 cm/s, p < 0.001). ST segment changes and symptoms were abolished with beta-blocker administration. In patients with myocardial bridges, administration of short-acting beta-blockers during atrial pacing alleviates anginal symptoms and signs of ischemia. This effect was mediated by a reduction of vascular compression and maximal flow velocities within the bridged coronary artery segment.

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Augmentation of vessel squeezing at coronary-myocardial bridge by nitroglycerin: study by quantitative coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound.

Yoichiro Hongo, Hiroshi Tada, Kenichi Ito … (1999)

Nitroglycerin is known to augment vessel wall squeezing at the site with coronary-myocardial bridging (CMB). This study was designed to define the mechanism of nitroglycerin-induced augmentation of CMB in clinical settings. We analyzed nitroglycerin reactivity at the site with CMB in 39 patients. Maximal and minimal diameters of CMB during a cardiac cycle were measured by quantitative angiography before and after intracoronary administration of 250 microgram nitroglycerin. In 15 patients, CMB sites were observed by intravascular ultrasound to determine the intimal thickness and the time-serial change in vessel area. Before nitroglycerin, CMB was demonstrated with angiography in 25 patients, and the remaining 14 patients showed CMB after nitroglycerin. The maximal diameter during diastole increased from 1. 4 +/- 0.4 mm to 1.9 +/- 0.4 mm after nitroglycerin, whereas the minimal diameter during systole decreased from 1.0 +/- 0.4 mm to 0.7 +/- 0.4 mm (P <.01). Thus nitroglycerin augmented the percent vessel narrowing during systole from 24% +/- 21% to 65% +/- 16% (P <.01). Under these conditions, intravascular ultrasound showed the reduction of the cross-sectional area of the sites with CMB by -38% +/- 16% (P <.01) during systole, and this phenomenon continued to early diastole (-30% +/- 16%). The intimal thickness was 0.32 +/- 0. 10 mm, which suggests the absence of atherosclerotic disease at CMB sites. These results indicate that nitroglycerin-induced augmentation of the percent narrowing of CMB can be derived from further systolic compression of the vessel lumen as well as diastolic expansion, probably because of the increase in vessel compliance after nitroglycerin. We suggest that the delayed dilation of coronary lumen during the early diastole may contribute to the occurrence of myocardial ischemia.