Myocardial bridging: a practical guide for clinicians

Abstract

Myocardial bridging is the most common congenital coronary anomaly, characterized by an intramyocardial course of a segment of an epicardial coronary artery, with considerable variability in its depth and length. In most cases, MB is a benign anatomical variant without clinical significance, often asymptomatic and not requiring treatment. However, with the increasing use of coronary computed tomography angiography for coronary assessment, myocardial bridging is now more frequently identified during non-invasive imaging. It can also be diagnosed via invasive coronary angiography, where it appears as a dynamic systolic compression of the tunnelled artery segment, and further anatomical characterization can be enhanced by intravascular ultrasound or optical coherence tomography. Growing recognition of myocardial bridging's role in ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries has heightened clinical interest in its prevalence, diagnostic strategies, and management approaches. As such, this narrative review provides clinicians with an updated, evidence-based guide to the diagnosis and therapeutic management of myocardial bridging, while also addressing ongoing controversies and areas of uncertainty.

Keywords: Chest pain; Coronary artery; Myocardial bridging.