[Doppler velocimetry of the internal mammary artery anastomosed to the anterior descendent coronary artery: a noninvasive analysis of coronary circulation].

This study analyses the static and dynamic characteristics of the flow curves obtained by continuous wave Doppler flow velocity analysis in the internal mammary artery (IM) under normal conditions and after left anterior descending coronary artery by-pass. The IM flow velocity curve has the characteristics of a muscular artery both in basal conditions and during hyperventilation and Valsalva manoeuvre. On the other hand, the by-passed IM shows a typically phasic flow velocity curve, the diastolic flow prevailing over the systolic as is commonly the case in the coronary circulation. This curve also shows variations characteristic of the coronary circulation during Valsalva manoeuvre, whereas it is not affected by the alterations induced by hyperventilation in the area of the respiratory muscles. Continuous wave Doppler flow analysis of the by-passed IM can therefore be considered a reliable method for evaluating coronary flow in man. The fact that this method is non-invasive makes it obviously advantageous and widens its field of application not only to strictly diagnostic evaluations but also to physiopathological and therapeutical ones.