Myocardial bridge pathology and preventable accidents during physical activity of healthy subjects: A case report and a literature review

Abstract

Myocardial bridging is a congenital coronary pathology described as a segment of coronary artery which courses through the myocardial wall under the muscle bridge. Although the prognosis of myocardial bridging is benign, sports medicine recognises myocardial bridging as a leading cause of sudden death among young basketball, football and soccer players. The authors report a case of a 42-year-old man who collapsed while playing football. He died notwithstanding prompt medical assistance and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At autopsy, gross examination of the heart revealed the intramural course of the left anterior descending coronary artery to be 2 cm from its coronary ostial origin. Histological examination of ventricular septal and left myocardium showed early signs of ischaemic injury without disease of small coronary vessels and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The cause of the death was due to malignant ventricular arrhythmia during intense physical activity.

Keywords: Myocardial bridge; autopsy; physical activity; sport; sudden cardiac death.