Interarterial Coronary Anastomoses and Coronary Arterial Pattern

The coronary arterial pattern and coronary anastomoses have been investigated in 90 European and 98 Bantu hearts. A significantly better coronary anastomotic blood supply has been demonstrated in Bantu hearts. This was found to be present from a very early age onward and not related to hypertrophy, atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, or to gross anatomic differences of the arterial tree, such as a third primary division of the left coronary artery. The latter was found to be more common (74 per cent) in Bantu than in European hearts (38 per cent). It is suggested that the reason for the better anastomoses might be the high incidence of megaloblastic and iron-deficiency anemia in Bantu children. The low incidence of the severe degrees of coronary atherosclerosis and its complications has been reaffirmed in the Bantu hearts.