Relation between coronary artery size and left ventricular wall mass.

The cross-sectional area of the lumen of the proximal right coronary artery and the main stem of the left coronary artery were measured in 27 patients-6 normal subjects, 8 with minor coronary artery disease, 8 with aortic incompetence, 3 with primary myocardial disease, and 2 with a prolapsing posterior leaflet of the mitral valve and mild mitral incompetence. There was close linear correlation between left ventricular wall mass and the cross-sectional area of the main stem of the left coronary artery, of the proximal right coronary artery, and the sum of the two. Increase in cross-sectional area was related to the increase in muscle mass, and it is suggested that, if velocity of coronary artery blood flow is constant, dilatation of the proximal coronary arteries facilitates coronary flow appropriate to the degree of left ventricular hypertrophy.