Advances in 64-row multidetector computed tomography have provided noninvasive imaging of coronary arteries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of coronary artery anomalies in Iranian symptomatic patients and to determine the presence of anomalies resulting in myocardial ischaemia without atherosclerotic plaque.
This study was carried out in Tabriz University of medical sciences on 534 patients with suggestive symptoms for coronary artery diseases. Original slices were reconstructed from data achieved by using a ECG-gated multidetector computed tomography scanner, and reconstructed 3-dimentional images of the heart were reviewed. Congenital angiography was performed in 36.3% of patients. The prevalence of myocardial bridging in symptomatic patients was 6.0% by multidetector computed tomography while conventional angiography could detect 20% of them. The most prevalent site was the middle portion of the left anterior descending artery. Anomalous origin or course of coronary arteries and AV fistula was detected by multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography in 2.6% of cases while conventional angiography could detect 44.4% of these anomalies. The prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques in patients with myocardial bridging was 53.1%. In 46.9% of these patients, myocardial bridging was held responsible for signs and symptoms of myocardial ischaemia as no atherosclerotic plaque was evident. This rate was 64.3% in symptomatic patients with other anomalies in origin or course of coronary arteries. This study gives the prevalence of coronary artery anomalies and myocardial bridging in the Iranian population. The results suggest multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography as the preferred utility for diagnosing such anomalies.