Abstract
We describe histologically cases of patients between 31 and 60 years of age who had fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) in the tunica media (TM) of the left ventricle papillary muscles (PM) arteries. We also compared them with our previous findings in subjects younger than 30 years of age. We examined histologically samples taken from the tip of the anterior PM of the left ventricle in 200 healthy male hearts. In 33 cases (16.5 %), FMD was in the TM. We divided these cases into three subgroups (A, B, C) based on the degree of replacement of smooth muscle cells by fibrous tissue, and thus identified 17, 11 and 5 cases, respectively. Until the age of 41, the typical lesions were often localized within the TM. Beyond that age, the fibrous tissue increased in the TM wall and in the surrounding area of the vessels, causing dysfunction of the PM. Degenerative lesions, as well as inflammatory infiltration, were found after the age of 53. The findings of this study will be useful to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, in pointing out that, after the age of 44 years old, some PM and their supporting valves may present a degree of dysfunction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burke AP, Virmani R (1998) Intramural coronary artery dysplasia of the ventricular septum and sudden death. Hum Pathol 29:1124–1127
James TN (1990) Morphologic characteristics and functional significance of focal fibromuscular dysplasia of small coronary arteries. Am J Cardiol 65:12G–22G
Lee AHS, Gray PB, Gallagher PJ (2000) Sudden death and regional left ventricular fibrosis with muscular dysplasia of small intramyocardial coronary arteries. Heart 83:101–102
Michaud K, Romain N, Brandt-Casadevall C, Margin P (2001) Sudden death related to small coronary artery disease. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 22:225–227
Nerantzis CE, Koutsaftis PN, Marianou SK, Karakoukis NG, Cafiris NA, Kontogeorgos G (2002) Original histologic findings in arteries of the right ventricle papillary muscles in human hearts. Anat Rec 266:146–151
Nerantzis CE, Lefkidis CA, Marianou SK, Karakoukis NG, Koulouris SN (2003) Histologic findings in the left ventricle papillary muscle arteries from human hearts. Anat Sci Intern 78:223–227
Nerantzis CE, Kalogrias NF, Letsas KP et al (2007) Post-mortem angiographic and histologic findings of coronary artery fibromuscular dysplas. Inter J Cardiol 122:e32–e35
Olson LA, Faber DB, LeMar JV, Routman BN, Hoff GL (1984) Fibromuscular hyperplasia of the brachial artery—failure of calcium antagonist therapy. Angiology 35:790–796
Ropponen KM, Alafuzoff I (1999) A case of sudden death caused by Fibromuscular dysplasia. J Clin Pathol 52:541–542
Schartz CJ, Mitchell JRA (1962) The relation between myocardial lesions and coronary artery disease. An unselected necropsy study. Br Heart J 24:761–786
Stanley JC, Gewertz BL, Bove EL, Sottiurai V, Fry WJ (1975) Arterial fibrodysplasia. Histopathologic character and current etiologic concepts. Arch Surg 110:561–566
Veinot JP, Johnston B, Acharya V, Healy J (2007) The spectrum of intramyocardial small vessel disease associated with sudden death. J Forensic Sci 47:384–388
Acknowledgements
We thank the Medicine School Student Mr. Togkas Dimitris for his expert assistance. Also, we thank the Hellenic Heart Foundation for technical support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nerantzis, C.E., Karakoukis, N.G., Di Lernia, G.C. et al. Age-related fibromuscular dysplasia in the human left ventricle papillary muscles arteries. Anat Sci Int 92, 338–342 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-016-0337-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-016-0337-y