Coronary arterial territories of the left ventricle: extension and exclusivity.

Ninety human hearts obtained from autopsies were used. The methods applied were post-mortem angiography, dissection and the construction of an arterial map by segments, according to the classification of Selvester et al. It was shown that the arteries which have the greatest extension are the anterior interventricular and circumflex aa., while irrigation by the right coronary artery is only moderate, except in the segments of the inferior wall. Differences in the perfusion territories of the main coronary arteries and between the patterns of arterial irrigation of the left ventricle (segmental pattern and grouped pattern) were found. Finally, we define risk groups on the basis of the proportion of the ventricular mass irrigated by each artery, which are of practical interest from the clinical, prognostic and therapeutic points of view.