[Morphological and angiographic studies on mammary artery in coronary sclerosis]

Macroscopic and microscopic studies on the anterior interventricular ramus of left coronary artery, internal thoracic artery, and great saphenous vein were carried out 50 dead, aged 21 to 60 years. The internal thoracic artery was always normal whereas in 40 cases stenosing coronary sclerosis was found. At mammography, 25 patients with operable coronary obstruction also showed no degenerative alterations of this systematic artery. With a diameter of 1.5 mm in the 5th intercostal space the internal thoracic artery was fit for performing an anastomosis.