Vol 67, No 2 (2008)
Original article
Published online: 2008-03-06
Morphological expression of the left coronary artery: a direct anatomical study
Folia Morphol 2008;67(2):135-142.
Abstract
The left coronary artery presents wide variability in its morphological expression.
The purpose of this work was to determine the variations in the left coronary
artery and those of its branches in heart samples taken from a group of
154 Colombian mixed-race people. Cadaveric coronary arteries were injected
with synthetic resins. Left coronary artery trunks presented 6.48 ± 2.57 mm
lengths. Left coronary arteries were bifurcated in 80 hearts (52%), trifurcated
in 65 hearts (42.2%) and tetrafurcated in 9 hearts (5.8%). A short circumflex
branch was observed in 143 hearts (92.8%), finalising as a left marginal branch
in 39 of them (25.3%). The inferior third of the posterior interventricular sulcus
was the most frequently occurring segment in anterior interventricular branch
finalisation (63.6%). The calibre of the left coronary artery trunk was 3.58 ±
± 0.59 mm, that of the anterior interventricular branch 2.94 ± 0.5 mm and
that of the circumflex branch 2.71 ± 0.54 mm. Of the total sample 86 myocardial
bridges were observed with 61 cases (70.9%) in the anterior interventricular
branch, distributed amongst all segments (proximal, intermediate and distal).
Average myocardial bridge length was 19.4 ± 10.7 mm, and no gender
differences were observed (p = 0.20). The most frequently occurring location
of the myocardial bridges, on the anterior interventricular branch (proximal
and intermediate), agreed with previous studies. Left coronary artery trunk length
and calibre and that of its branches were considerably smaller than those reported
in other populations.
(Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 135–142)
(Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 135–142)
Keywords: left coronary arteryanterior interventricular branchcircumflex branchanterosuperior branchlateral branchmyocardial bridge