What is a myocardial bridge?

Myocardial bridge, short for coronary artery myocardial bridge, is a congenital developmental anomaly that mostly has no serious effects. Coronary artery myocardial bridge, referred to as myocardial bridge, is usually a special condition in which the trunk or branches of the coronary artery vessels on the surface of the heart travel beneath the myocardium, and is a congenital abnormality in the development of the coronary arteries. The arterial vessels on the surface of the heart, which mainly play the role of nourishing the myocardium, are called coronary arteries because they are distributed on the surface of the heart; during the development of the coronary arteries, if a segment of the coronary artery or its branches can be covered by the myocardium and travel within the myocardium, the myocardium that is erected on the surface of the coronary arteries at this time is called myocardial bridge. Most myocardial bridges are relatively superficial and do not have serious effects. Myocardial bridges compress the local coronary arteries during cardiac systole, and the coronary artery compression is released during cardiac diastole. However, myocardial bridges can cause local narrowing of the coronary artery lumen during myocardial contraction, which may cause or aggravate myocardial ischemia, especially when the coronary artery is atherosclerotic or endothelial function is unstable; in more serious cases, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or even sudden death may occur. Myocardial bridges are a kind of congenital developmental abnormality of coronary arteries, and there is no need to be alarmed if myocardial bridges are found during the examination. If it causes angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or even sudden death, this myocardial bridge needs to be treated actively.