Observations on the Vascular Pattern of the Left Ventricular Freewall in Normal and Hypertrophied Hearts

Abstract

The arterial vascular pattern of the myocardium of the left ventricular freewall of normal and hypertrophied human hearts was studied by post mortem injection of a radio-opaque medium Colourpaque, and the taking of microradiographs of transverse ventricular slices using the immersion technique. The branching type arteries supplied the myocardial wall including the subendocardial zone, the straight type arteries supplied the papillary muscles and the trabeculae carnae. The branching and straight type arteries in the hypertrophied hearts were of smaller calibre than normal hearts. The vascular pattern in the freewall of hearts with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy was similar to those of hearts with asymmetrical left ventricular hypertrophy.