CORONARY ARTERIAL TERRITORIES OF THE LEFT-VENTRICLE - EXTENSION AND EXCLUSIVITY

Ninety human hearts obtained from autopsies were used. The methods app lied were post-mortem angiography, dissection and the construction of an arterial map by segments, according to the classification of Selves ter et al. It was shown that the arteries which have the greatest exte nsion are the anterior interventricular and circumflex aa., while irri gation by the right coronary artery is only moderate, except in the se gments of the inferior wall. Differences in the perfusion territories of the main coronary arteries and between the patterns of arterial irr igation of the left ventricle (segmental pattern and grouped pattern) were found, Finally, we define risk groups on the basis of the proport ion of the ventricular mass irrigated by each artery, which are of pra ctical interest from the clinical, prognostic and therapeutic points o f view.