Dual versus split right coronary artery: What is there in the name?

Abstract

Congenital coronary artery anomalies are rare which are generally detected incidentally during coronary angiograms. Double right coronary artery (RCA) is one such rare coronary anomaly, and various other terms are being used to describe it such as dual RCA or split RCA. However, no final consensus regarding definition of dual or split RCA has been made till now. We reported two different cases of double RCA and proposed to differentiate dual versus split RCA on the basis of their number of ostia from the right sinus of Valsalva. Various reports of increased atherosclerosis particularly in single ostial origin split RCA have been described recently. Their clinical implication lies in the fact that one should have background knowledge of such a rare coronary anomaly particularly during acute coronary syndromes with complete occlusion so that culprit artery could not be missed.