Prevalence of thick intimas and of obstructive lesions in the vessels supplying the conduction system of the heart.

Abstract

A study of the prevalence of thick intimas and of obstructive lesions in the vessels supplying the conduction system of the heart (first septal artery, sinus node artery, atrioventricular node artery, posterior descending artery) was carried out on both non-hospitalized and hospitalized subjects. A total of 932 cases aged 6 to 55 years were investigated. The age period of the onset of both intimal thickenings and atherosclerotic plaques, the percent of cases with intimal thickenings and atherosclerotic plaques in successive age groups and the highest value of the intima thickness/media thickness ratio, were recorded. Comparative data are presented between apparently healthy subjects who died of accidental causes and patients of similar age and sex, who died of coronary heart disease. Sudden cardiac death cases are presented showing as the most important lesion the obstruction of the sinus node and atrioventricular node arteries. The results point to a need for a more frequent routine examination of the vessels supplying the conduction tissue of the heart.