[Myocardial bridge - cause of cardiac phase-dependent coronary stenosis (author's transl)].

A 41 year-old man presented with anginal pain and a positive exercise electrocardiogram. Hemodynamic and angiographic evaluation disclosed mild hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and a conic stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending artery confined to the systolic phase of the heart action. The degree of constriction of the coronary artery was no longer evident. Pathophysiologic consequences suggest that surgical dissection of muscle bridges should be considered in symptomatic patients with severe coronary obstruction.