An Overview of Myocardial Bridging With a Focus on Multidetector CT Coronary Angiographic Findings

Myocardial bridging (MB) is a common anatomical variant rather than a congenital anomaly, and it is usually considered benign. It is generally confined to the mid-portion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Atherosclerotic plaques are often located in the segment proximal to the bridged segment, although the tunneled segment is typically spared. Conventional coronary angiography is the gold standard for detection, but it is invasive and may not be sensitive enough to detect a thin bridge. The prevalence of MB reported in multidetector CT (MDCT) coronary angiographic series has ranged from 3.5% to 30.5% in patients with chest pain or with suspected or known coronary artery disease. Today, MDCT coronary angiography is an alternative noninvasive imaging tool that allows for easy and accurate evaluation of MB. (Korean Circ J 2008;38:583-589)