[Localization of sclerotic lesions in the coronary arteries and their epicardial branches (author's transl)].

In the hearts of 100 unselected adult autopsies (average age 65 years) the coronary arteries and their major branches were investigated. After opening the lumen, the vessels were measured, and the location of all sclerotic lesions was identified, including fatty streaks. The frequency of distribution of advanced sclerotic changes was similar to that of lipid and fibrolipid plaques. 1003 major coronary artery branches were studied. 25% of them showed sclerotic changes in contrast to 92% in the coronary arteries themselves. There was a good correlation between the sclerotic lesions in the coronary arteries and their branches: no changes were found in the branches the corresponding stems of which were unchanged. In contrast to that, sclerotic branches nearly always originated from sclerotic areas of the coronary arteries. Branches of the left anterior descending artery were more frequently affected by atherosclerosis (39%) than branches of the right coronary artery (17%). Contrary to the right coronary artery sclerotic changes of the proximal branches of the left anterior descending and the left circumflex artery were significantly more frequent than sclerotic lesions of the distal branches. The frequency of sclerotic lesions in the branches was similar to that in the coronary arteries; the proximal part was more frequently affected than the distal one. In addition, the peripheral decreasing frequency of sclerotic changes, which was found to be more pronounced in the left coronary arteries than in the right one, showed a similar behaviour in the corresponding branches. Our investigations indicate the vessel's diameter to be a significant (but not the only) factor in atherosclerosis development in coronary arteries and their branches. In case of a corresponding size of lumen, the frequency of sclerotic changes in the coronary arteries was approximately the same as in their branches.