Myocardial bridges: A review

Much has been written regarding the potential clinical significance of myocardial bridges. As such bridging is often seen in normal individuals, it is clear that not all arteries bridged by myocardial segments produce clinical symptoms thereby suggesting that this feature may simply be an anatomical variant. However, some authors who have considered these bridges as the cause of cardiac ischemia have suggested two potential mechanisms for their pathophysiology. The first is a phasic systolic compression of the bridged segment with persistent mid-to-late diastolic reduction in arterial diameter and the second proposes a reduction in arterial flow. Both mechanisms may contribute to a reduced reserve in coronary blood flow. In this review, we discuss the evidence that exists regarding myocardial bridging and the potential for bridging to cause myocardial ischemia. Clin. Anat. 24:675-683, 2011.