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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Myocardial Bridging: Review on the Role of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography
Chiara Rovera1, Claudio Moretti1, Francesca Bisanti2
1Department of Cardiology, Civic Hospital of Chivasso, 10034 Chivasso, Italy.
Insights
Myocardial bridging (MB), a congenital coronary anomaly, is increasingly detected using cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). While often benign, specific MB features identified by CCTA may indicate cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Myocardial bridging (MB) is a congenital coronary anomaly where a coronary artery segment tunnels through heart muscle.
- The left anterior descending artery is most commonly affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the diagnostic and prognostic utility of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in evaluating myocardial bridging.
- To highlight advancements in CCTA post-processing for functional insights.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on myocardial bridging and CCTA.
- Discussion of multiplane and 3D CCTA capabilities.
- Exploration of novel post-processing techniques for functional analysis.
Main Results:
- CCTA significantly improves the identification of myocardial bridging.
- Emerging post-processing methods offer functional insights beyond anatomical assessment.
- Certain MB characteristics identified by CCTA may correlate with cardiovascular morbidity.
Conclusions:
- CCTA is a valuable tool for diagnosing myocardial bridging.
- Advanced CCTA analysis can provide prognostic information regarding MB.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the clinical significance of MB characteristics.
Abstract:
Myocardial bridging (MB) is a congenital coronary anomaly in which a segment of a coronary artery, most frequently the left anterior descending artery, deviates from its epicardial route by passing through the myocardium. The advent of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA), equipped with its multiplane and three-dimensional functionalities, has notably enhanced the ability to identify MBs. Furthermore, novel post-processing methods have recently emerged to extract functional insights from anatomical evaluations. MB is generally considered a benign entity with very good survival rates; however, there is an increasing volume of evidence that certain MB characteristics may be associated with cardiovascular morbidity. This review is intended to depict the diagnostic and prognostic role of CCTA in the MB context.
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