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Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure
Published on: January 14, 2014
An Updated Review on Myocardial Bridging
Ghulam Murtaza1, Debabrata Mukherjee2, Shahyar M Gharacholou3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
Insights
Myocardial bridging, where coronary arteries travel within heart muscle, is usually benign but can cause ischemia. This review updates diagnosis and management, including medical therapy and interventions for symptomatic patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Cardiovascular Imaging
Background:
- Myocardial bridging is a congenital anomaly where coronary arteries run through the heart muscle.
- While often asymptomatic, it can cause myocardial ischemia, leading to serious cardiac events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in the diagnosis and management of myocardial bridging.
- To highlight current strategies for evaluating the functional significance of myocardial bridging.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent literature on myocardial bridging pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Discussion of non-invasive and invasive diagnostic modalities.
- Evaluation of medical and interventional management options.
Main Results:
- Myocardial bridging can be a significant cause of myocardial ischemia and related complications.
- Various diagnostic tools aid in assessing the functional impact of the anomaly.
- Treatment strategies range from medical management to percutaneous coronary intervention and surgery.
Conclusions:
- Accurate diagnosis and risk stratification are crucial for managing myocardial bridging.
- Treatment should be tailored to individual patient symptoms and the functional significance of the bridging.
- Further research is needed to optimize long-term management strategies.
Abstract:
Myocardial bridging is a congenital coronary anomaly with normal epicardial coronary artery taking an intra-myocardial course also described as tunneled artery. The majority of patients with this coronary anomaly are asymptomatic and generally it is a benign condition. However, it is an important cause of myocardial ischemia, which may lead to anginal symptoms, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac arrhythmias and rarely sudden cardiac death. There are numerous studies published in the recent past on understanding the pathophysiology, diagnostic and management strategies of myocardial bridging. This review highlights some of the recent updates in the diagnosis and management of patients with myocardial bridging. We discuss the role of various non-invasive and invasive diagnostic methods to evaluate functional significance of bridging. In addition, role of medical therapy such as beta-blockers, percutaneous coronary intervention with stents/bioresorbable scaffolds and surgical unroofing in patients unresponsive to medical therapy is highlighted as well.
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