Myocardial bridging as evaluated by 16 row MDCT.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Myocardial bridging (MB) is a congenital anomaly where a segment of a coronary artery tunneled through heart muscle.
• Accurate diagnosis and characterization of MB are crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence, appearance, and clinical symptoms of myocardial bridging (MB) using MDCT coronary angiography (CTA).
• To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of MDCT coronary angiography (CTA) for MB detection.

Main Methods:

• 280 patients underwent 16-MDCT coronary angiography (CTA).
• MBs were classified as complete or incomplete based on myocardial continuity over the tunneled segment.
• CTA findings were compared with prior catheter angiography studies in select patients.

Main Results:

• Myocardial bridging (MB) was detected in 108 (38.5%) of 280 patients.
• Complete MBs were observed in 70.8% of bridged segments, incomplete in 29.2%.
• MDCT coronary angiography (CTA) identified MB in 38.5% of patients, while only 13.3% of these had MB detected on prior catheter angiography.

Conclusions:

• MDCT coronary angiography (CTA) is a non-invasive and efficient method for diagnosing myocardial bridging (MB).
• CTA allows direct visualization, aiding in differentiating complete from incomplete MB.
• MDCT coronary angiography (CTA) offers advantages over catheter angiography by avoiding procedural risks.