Anomalous Right Coronary Artery Research Articles

Rare Presentation of Myocardial Ischemia in a Patient with an Anomalous Right Coronary Artery

BACKGROUND: Coronary anomalies are coronary patterns that occur rarely in the general population. The most common type of these anomalies is the emergence of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left coronary sinus, which in most patients is either asymptomatic or leads to sudden cardiac death (SCD). THE CASE: This case report presents the case of a 35-year-old male patient who had an inferior ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) for which percutaneous coronary intervention was attempted and failed due to the patient going into cardiac arrest. The patient was subsequently managed medically in the cardiac intensive care unit and followed up outpatient with a cardiologist. The patient experienced symptoms of exertional angina and had a CT angiography of the heart and coronary vessels that identified an anomalous RCA emerging from the left coronary sinus. He was diagnosed with an anomalous RCA with malignant take-off from the left coronary sinus, and subsequent management was surgical with a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) x1 using the right internal mammary artery (RIMA to RCA). Intraoperatively, the patient was found to have sclerosis of the RCA proximally for about 5cm. The patient did well post-operatively and had no symptoms of exertional angina upon outpatient follow up with both his cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon. CONCLUSION: Most cases of coronary anomalies have been found to be either completely asymptomatic or lead to SCD, especially in young patients, however very few cases in literature identified patients with this anomaly presenting with STEMI such as in this case. Another significant finding in this patient is sclerosis of the RCA, where although some articles propose that anomalous coronary arteries may be more susceptible to atherosclerosis, others conclude that there may be no association; concluding that factors such as intramural course, slit-like origin, and acute angle take-off might be more significantly associated. Moreover, patients with coronary anomalies rarely experience cardiac events solely due to their anomaly, such as with this patient. Finally, this patient’s significantly young age at 35 years old is significant given the mean age of patients undergoing CABG being 60.8 years in one cross-sectional study. Current management of symptomatic patients with these anomalies is under debate, with many patients undergoing CABG such as in this case, although one study shows no significant difference in mortality or 10-year survival with surgical intervention despite having higher surgical intervention rates. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of patients with coronary anomalies has been shown to be difficult or unsuccessful in most studies, although a few cases in literature were successful with tools such as multidetector CT (MDCT). Awareness of these anomalies and their possible presentation, risk factors, and radiologic findings is important especially given their potential for SCD. More research is needed to further elucidate the best treatment options and perhaps even improve the potential for non-invasive interventional techniques such as PCI.

Clinical characteristics of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery in children

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) in children. Methods: There were 17 children diagnosed with AAOCA from January 2013 to January 2022 in Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.Their clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging data, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results: These 17 children included 14 males and 3 females, with the age of (8.7±3.5) years. There were 4 anomalous left coronary artery (ALCA) and 13 anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA). Seven children presented with chest pain or chest pain after exercise, three patients presented with cardiac syncope, one complained chest tightness and weakness, and the other six patients had no specific symptoms. Cardiac syncope and chest tightness occurred in patients with ALCA. Fourteen children had the dangerous anatomical basis of myocardial ischemia caused by coronary artery compression or stenosis on imaging. Seven children had coronary artery repair, of whom two were ALCA and five were ARCA. One patient had received heart transplantation because of heart failure. The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events and poor prognosis in ALCA group was higher than that in ARCA group (4/4 vs. 0/13, P<0.05). They were followed up in the outpatient department regularly for 6 (6, 12) months; except for the one who lost visit, the rest of the patients had a good prognosis. Conclusions: Cardiogenic syncope or cardiac insufficiency usually occurs in ALCA, and adverse cardiovascular events and poor prognosis are more common in ALCA than in ARCA. Early surgical treatment should be considered for children with ALCA and ARCA accompanied by myocardial ischemia.

Percutaneous coronary intervention of anomalous right coronary arteries arising from the left sinus of Valsalva: a single-centre experience from Northern India

An anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA) arising from the left sinus of Valsalva is an uncommon congenital anomaly. The unusual location, take-off and intramural courses of ARCA pose a considerable technical challenge during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to report our experience of PCI of ARCA in 35 cases of atherosclerotic occlusion. The PCI database of 35 cases of ARCA was retrospectively analysed. The details about demography, clinical presentation, PCI procedure and clinical follow-up were noted. The mean age was 56.7±13.5 years. The clinical presentation included stable angina in 45.7%, unstable angina in 20% and acute myocardial infarction in 34.3% of patients. Vascular access was transradial in 37.1% of cases, transfemoral in 60% of cases, and transbrachial in 1 case (2.9%). Judkins left and Amplatz left were commonly used guide catheters. Two patients with balloon-uncrossable, calcified lesions required rotablation-assisted PCI. Intravascular imaging was performed in 12 patients (34.3%). Optical coherence tomography demonstrated a proximal intramural course in 3 patients, and a slit-like orifice in 4 patients. The mean radiation dose and fluoroscopy time were 877±687.3 mGy and 18.8±11.6 minutes, respectively. Twenty-eight (80%) patients had an asymptomatic median follow-up of 49 (interquartile range: 29.0-97.5) months. We performed successful PCI in a cohort of 35 patients with ARCA, with favourable long-term clinical outcomes. The selection of an appropriate guide catheter and technical skills were important factors in achieving favourable results.

Abstract 15162: Anomalous Right Coronary Artery From the Left Sinus of Valsalva With an Interarterial Course: Impact on Clinical Outcomes in the Adult Population

Introduction: Anomalous right coronary arteries (RCA) arising from the left sinus of Valsalva with an interarterial course (lAC) may cause sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents. However, the natural history and management of patients in whom this anomaly is first detected during adulthood remains uncertain. Methods: Database review identified patients ≥35 years old with anomalous coronary arteries diagnosed by cardiac catheterization or coronary computed tomographic angiography. The outcomes of patients with anomalous RCA with IAC treated conservatively were compared to patients with anomalous left circumflex (LCX) coronary arteries with retroaortic course (an anomaly not associated with ischemic events). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included survived cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction. Results: The study population consisted of 185 patients (115 men, 70 women) aged 59 ± 12. Clinical characteristics were similar in the RCA (n=88) and LCX (n=97) groups. At follow-up of 6.6 ± 4.4 years there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in mortality (p=0.11) or in secondary outcomes (P=0.89). Conclusions: The outcome of adult patients who had an anomalous RCA with lAC were similar to patients who had anomalous LCX with a known benign course. These results suggest that most patients who survive this anomaly into adulthood may be managed conservatively without intervention.

Right Coronary Artery Originating From Mid Left Anterior Descending Artery: A Rare Variant of Anomalous Right Coronary Artery Detected on CT Coronary Angiography.

Background: A single coronary artery (SCA) is a rare anomaly encountered using conventional coronary angiography. A right coronary artery (RCA) originating from a left anterior descending artery (LAD) is a rare subtype of SCA. Only a few cases are described in published literature. Case presentation: We described this anomaly in a 55-year-old male who presented with angina pectoris. The anomalous RCA was suspected by conventional coronary angiogram and was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography. Using CT, we demonstrated the course of the abnormal vessel and its relation to the main vessel. We also detected the presence of plaque, which caused luminal stenosis of the proximal LAD, which may cause global ischaemia. Conclusion: We concluded that although conventional coronary angiography is an important diagnostic method, new non-invasive methods such as CT coronary angiography can be a better screening tool to detect and characterise coronary anomalies. Electronic Supplementary Materials Supplementary Material 1: Coronary angiogram demonstrates anomalous RCA originating from LAD. Supplementary Material 2: CTA coronary shows anomalous RCA originates from the mid-portion of LAD.

Origin of the Right Coronary Artery From the left Sinus of Valsalva in a Donor Heart With Unsuccessful Repair

Described herein is a 62-year-old man who had orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) because of severe heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Because of continued symptoms of heart failure, a coronary angiogram was performed 3 years after the OHT and it showed anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left sinus of Valsalva. As a consequence, an operation was performed to transfer the origin of the RCA to the right sinus of Valsalva. Unfortunately, the lumen of the RCA clotted off shortly after the operative procedure. Because of clinical evidence of rejection, the donor heart was replaced 4 years later providing the opportunity to study the previously transferred anomalous RCA.

Percutaneous treatment of a CTO in an anomalous right coronary artery: A rupture paved the way for new insights.

An anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) from the opposite sinus, with an interarterial course, has been associated with an increased risk of myocardial ischemia and sudden death. As the exact pathophysiology of AAOCA is not well understood, the clinical management is also not well defined. With increased use of non-invasive imaging, the diagnosis of AAOCA is increasing and the association of anomalous origin and atherosclerotic disease is becoming a more important topic. We report a rare case of AAOCA chronic total occlusion (CTO). A 40-year-old Caucasian man was referred for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) due to typical chest pain and positive myocardial scintigraphy. ICA demonstrated CTO of an anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA) originating from the left side of the ascending aorta with an interarterial course. There was no lesion in the left coronary artery. During the procedure, unexpected rupture of the coronary artery occurred after dilatation with a small balloon at low pressure. The complication in this case was handled with good procedural final result but was an occasion for a food for thought. Coronary artery perforations are rare but life-threatening procedural complications that are usually caused by predisposing anatomical and procedural factors. We issue a warning on the risk of complications during complex percutaneous coronary intervention of these arteries, and we reconsidered the pathophysiology of the anomaly in a way that could change the approach to the disease. Based on this complication, we hypothesized that the wall of the artery could be fragile due to histopathological alterations, which could have a role in the pathophysiology of coronary malignancy. Future autopsy studies should be focused on the analysis of the arterial wall of the patient affected by sudden death with this anomaly.

Anomalous Right Coronary Artery Originating from Mid Left Anterior Descending ArteryAn Unexpected Encounter during Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The appearance of single coronary artery with anomalous Right Coronary Artery (RCA) originating from left coronary artery is an extremely rare encounter. Here, the authors report one such case of a 34-year-old male, who was serendipitously encountered with a single coronary artery with anomalous RCA arising from mid Left Anterior Descending (LAD)artery. He presented with anterior wall ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and developed complete heart block. His mid LAD supplying anomalous RCA was totally occluded which was successfully recanalised using drug-eluting stent. The computed tomographic angiography confirmed single coronary artery with anomalous RCA arising from mid LAD across the stent.Thus, if RCA is not seen during traditional coronary angiography, the interventionalist should keep in mind that RCA can originate from LAD.

Abstract 8918: Nstemi in a Patient With Anomalous Coronary Artery Origin

Introduction: Anomalous origin of the coronary arteries is a rare condition that can be life threatening. We present the case of a patient with anomalous right coronary artery (RCA) origin who presented with atypical chest pain. Case Presentation: A 34-year old man with no medical history presented with atypical chest pain. Initial vital signs were within normal limits and physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory results revealed a peak troponin of 16.56 Ng/ml and EKG did not show ischemic changes. Echocardiogram demonstrated mildly impaired right ventricular systolic function. Cardiac catheterization showed patent coronaries and anomalous RCA arising from the left coronary cusp (LCC). Cardiac CT showed anomalous origin of the RCA extending from the LCC and coursing between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. Patient remained asymptomatic and was referred for surgical evaluation Discussion: Anomalous RCA originating from the LCC occurs in 0.05%-0.1% of the general population. It may run posterior to the aorta, anterior to the pulmonary trunk, septal or between the pulmonary artery and the aorta itself, like in the case of our patient. Diagnosis of these anomalies can be done by cardiac MRI, cardiac coronary CT, or coronary angiography. Management depends on the nature of the anomalies and remains controversial. Options include coronary angioplasty, conservative medical management, or surgical correction. In patients with intramural course and symptoms of myocardial ischemia, most literature recommends surgical intervention. Conclusions: This case illustrates a unique case of a patient with an anomalous coronary artery origin presenting with NSTEMI. Management can be challenging, and it must be individualized.

Anomalous origin of coronary artery from the opposite aortic sinus of Valsalva-a single center experience with a therapeutic conundrum

Background: Coronary artery anomalies are rare congenital abnormalities, most often found incidentally on conventional coronary angiography and CT angiography (CTA). CTA better delineates the origin and course of anomalous coronaries. Anomalous origin of coronary artery from the opposite aortic sinus of Valsalva (ACAOS) has a prevalence of 1% with a very few having an interarterial (malignant) course. There is limited literature, especially in the Indian population, dealing with this topic.Methods: In this retrospective observational study, angiographic data of 8500 consecutive patients from June 2011 to December 2019 at a large tertiary care hospital in western India was analyzed. Patients diagnosed with ACAOS underwent CTA for delineation of the exact anatomy. Those with a non-malignant course with evidence of ischemia clinically or on stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), underwent PCI. Others with a non-malignant course were medically managed. Patients with malignant (interarterial) course were revascularized by coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in case of LCA involvement or positive MPI test. Asymptomatic patients with negative MPI were managed medically. Clinical follow-up over 12 months of patients undergoing PCI and those with a malignant course showed no major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).Results: Of the 8500 patients studied, 74 (0.87%) had ACAOS. Of these, 51 (68.9%) patients had anomalous origin of right coronary artery (RCA) from the left aortic sinus, 21 (28.4%) had anomalous origin of the circumflex artery (Cx) from the right aortic sinus and two patients (2.7%) had an anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery (LCA) from the right aortic sinus. Interarterial course was found in five (6.7%) patients. Of these, four patients underwent CABG-one asymptomatic patient with LCA from right aortic sinus and three with positive MPI in anomalous RCA. All five patients with malignant course and ten patients who underwent PCI were free of MACE over 12 months’ clinical follow up.Conclusions: ACAOS is a rare anomaly and if interarterial course is excluded, then PCI is feasible in selected cases with significant stenosis. Patients with malignant course with inducible ischemia or LCA involvement should undergo surgical revascularisation.

Controversy in Managing Coronary Artery Anomaly with Co-Existing Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis in a Young

We read the case report by Singh at al. with interest [1]. They present a case of a 34-year-old hypertensive man with symptomatic 3 vessel coronary artery disease on invasive coronary angiography. He underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with normal perfusion at high workload (12.8 METS and with a double product of 35,720 and had normal left ventricular systolic function on echocardiography. The subsequent CT coronary angiography (CCTA) has described non-occlusive plaques in the left anterior descending coronary artery and proximal Right Coronary Artery (RCA) with an incidental finding of the anomalous RCA originating from the left sinus of Valsalva (LSoV). After this reassuring finding patient underwent invasive coronary angiography that has revealed multivessel disease including 75% LAD, OM1 and OM2 85% and RCA 80% stenosis and coronary artery by-pass graft surgery was recommended. We would like to raise some points in arguing the appropriateness of this patient’s surgical management. ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines recommend optimized medical treatment in patients with low-risk presentation based on typicality of chest pain and the functional test results as in this patient [2]. CCTA is known to have low positive predictive accuracy and tends to overestimate the degree of CAD. It was therefore surprising to see that the degree of the diameter stenosis was underestimated as well as the extent of coronary artery disease in this patient by CCTA was not recognized. One may argue that based on the functional and the non-invasive anatomical test results the best medical practice would have been tight risk factors control and guidelines based optimal medical management. The incidental finding of the CCTA of the Congenital Coronary Artery Anomaly (CCAA) with the RCA originating from the LSoV with inter-arterial course, based on the current clinical evidence, should not have changed management. Indeed, several prospective and retrospective observational studies showed that this type of CCAA is not associated with premature or sudden cardia death in contrast with those when the left coronary artery arises from the right sinus of Valsalva with inter-arterial course [3,4]. Our case-controlled study of 10 patients with the anomalous RCA from the LSoV showed no objective evidence of inducible ischemia on different functional test modalities and showed no event free survival difference compared to age sex and coronary artery disease severity disease matched controls in agreement with other studies [3,4]. In addition, since coronary grafts especially venous grafts have limited life expectancy [5], and one would assume that this young patient would need to undergo further revascularization in the future. We would suggest that best guideline based clinical practice with additional supportive evidence should guide our daily clinical judgement even in cases with complex coronary anatomy to the best interest of our patients [6].

Anomalous Right Coronary Originating from the Left main Coronary or the mid of Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) are very rare a relatively uncommon, diverse group of congenital disorders of coronary arterial anatomy with a clinical presentations. Though most commonly detected incidentally finding during routine catheter, CT angiograms or at autopsy, these anomalies have generated considerable interest as they constitute the second most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young competitive athletes after hypertrophic cardiomyopathy1. Their prevalence ranges from 0.2% to 1.3% based published series 2-4. The most common coronary artery anomaly is origination of the left circumflex coronary (LCX) artery from the proximal of right coronary artery (RCA) or right sinus of Valsalva. The second is separate origination of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and LCX artery from the left sinus of Valsalva. Herein, we present five cases that the anomalous RCA arises from the left main coronary artery or the mid of left left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). These cases are extremely rare. we bring forth them in an attempt to highlight their significance, and make cardiologist to understand what important the anomalies are, and how to diagnosis and treatment these bifurcation lesions of coronary anomalies.

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus with medusa head left coronaries: Plethora of left coronary circulation with paucity of right one

We report a rare case of anomalous origin of right coronary artery (RCA) from the left coronary sinus with a peculiar medusa head pattern of left coronary system in an octogenarian presenting with inferior wall myocardial infarction. Although anomalous origin of RCA from the left coronary sinus is the most common anomaly to be reported, this rare association of extensive arborization of left coronary system appearing like a medusa head is not reported in literature so far. The anomalous RCA harbored critical mid-RCA lesion, but the crux of coronary intervention was that we engaged the anomalous RCA with extra back up guide catheter in place of conventionally used Judkins right guide catheter to engage the anomalous origin and accomplished the coronary intervention with buddy wire technique. Our case is unique and the first to describe the association of medusa head appearance of left coronary circulation in a case of anomalous origin of RCA from the left coronary sinus.

Anomalous Right Coronary Artery Origin from Left Sinus (R- ACAOS) Coronary Intervention Case Series; “Our Approach” - A Single Center Experience

Anomalous origin of right coronary artery (RCA) from the left coronary sinus is very rare coronary anomaly. Various individual case reports and case series have been reported in the literature. Patients with anomalous right coronary artery may often be asymptomatic and detected on incidental CT coronary angiogram or at times may present with acute coronary syndrome, sudden cardiac death or malignant arrhythmias. Coronary intervention in an anomalous right coronary artery is often challenging and any interventionist should be familiar with the incidence of this anomaly and always choose an optimal, safe and a good co- axial guiding catheter support for a successful intervention. Here, we present three individual cases with anomalous RCA presenting with positive stress test to acute coronary syndrome. All three cases underwent successful intervention with Judkins left 3.0 (JL 3.0) guiding catheter without any perioperative complications.

Simple Provisional Stenting or two-stent Strategies to Treat Anomalous Right Coronary Originating from the mid of left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery

Congenital anomalies of coronary arteries (CAAS) are very rare and usually documented as an incidental finding during routine catheter or CT angiograms performed for other reasons. Their prevalence ranges from 0.2% to 1.3% based published series. The most common coronary artery anomaly is origination of the left circumflex coronary (LCX) artery from the proximal of right coronary artery (RCA) or right sinus of Valsalva. The second is separate origination of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and LCX artery from the left sinus of Valsalva. Herein, we present three cases that the anomalous RCA arises from the mid of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). The bifurcation lesions of first case was treated using two-stent strategies of DK culotte, excellent angiography results was observed. The last two cases were treated using simple provisional stenting strategy: one stent was deployed crossover the ostium of the anomalous coronary artery, final angiographic results were excellent. These cases are extremely rare. We bring forth them in an attempt to highlight their significance, and make cardiologist to understand what important the anomalies are, and the strategy how to treatment these bifurcation lesions.

P1487 Anomalous right coronary artery from mid left anterior descending artery

Abstract 55-year-old male with history of transient ischaemic attack, excised gastro-intestinal stromal tumour, and osteoarthritis presented to rapid access chest pain clinic with history of atypical chest pain. There were no resting electrocardiographic changes. In accordance with NICE stable chest pain guidelines, a CT coronary angiogram was requested to further assess for any underlying coronary artery disease. This showed normal origin of left main stem (LMS) from left coronary sinus of aorta, however there was an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) as a branch from the mid portion of left anterior descending artery (LAD). This was deemed to be an incidental finding with a benign course and not the cause of his symptoms. Coronary anomalies have a reported incidence of 1.3% at invasive coronary angiography (1), and a reported incidence of 0.014-0.066% of single coronary artery (2). Anomalous RCA usually courses from the LMS and courses between the aorta and pulmonary artery. We present an extremely rare variant of single coronary artery arising from the mid LAD without any associated congenital or structural abnormality, on CT coronary angiography (the gold standard for demonstrating coronary anatomy). This is rarely reported in the literature and is a benign coronary anomaly. Abstract P1487 Figure.

P243 A rare association of isolated persistent left superior vena cava(PLSVC) with anomalous right coronary artery (RCA) in a symptomatic patient. Role of saline contrast echo (SCE) with multimodal imaging

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Nil Introduction PLSVC with absent right superior vena cava (RSVC) is an extremely rare venous anomaly. Most of the patients with this anomaly have other associated cardiac anomalies. However, presence of an anomalous RCA has not been one of these anomalies. Case report A 36-year-old Asian healthy female with no significant medical history presented with over 3 years symptoms of chest heaviness and shortness of breath on walking two blocks. Examination was unremarkable. 2D echocardiogram revealed a 36mm dilated coronary sinus (CS), grade II tricuspid regurgitation (TR) with estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) of 40 mmhg. Normal right and left side of the heart. SCE using 50:50 agitated saline and Gelofusine injected intravenously through the left arm showed opacification of the dilated CS first before opacifying the right atrium (RA). Right arm injection depicted the same pattern of contrast opacification which denotes presence of PLSVC with congenital absence of RSVC. No detected intracardiac shunts by SCE. No partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC). However, findings did not justify patient’s symptoms. Seven days loop recorder ruled out any arrhythmias that might be associated with isolated PLSVC. An exercise stress ECG was equivocal with chest discomfort but no ECG changes. We opted for CT coronary angiography (CTCA) to rule out obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). CTCA confirmed our diagnosis of isolated PLSVC with absence of RSVC with huge CS. In addition, there was an anomalous origin of RCA from sinotubular junction above the commissure between left and right aortic CS and not from LM CS proper, taking a malignant interarterial course of a slit origin RCA with first part of it showing intramural course within the aortic wall. In view of symptoms we as a heart team explained the present risk of sudden cardiac death and possible indication for corrective surgery. A month later patient again presented with chest discomfort. We decided to do Coronary angiography to delineate actual size and dominance of RCA. RCA was a non-dominant small 1.75 mm vessel. There was a left anterior descending artery myocardial bridge. We started a beta blocker (BB) for the patient after which her symptoms improved. Patient followed up for two years later with no symptoms. We attributed her chest pain to the myocardial bridge since she improved on BB. We found there was no solid role for surgery in view of a very small non dominant RCA with no further chest pain. Conclusions Isolated PLSVC is a very rare condition. It is usually asymptomatic. But since our patient had symptoms, a search for another diagnosis was convenient. A dilated CS should always alert us to search for PLSVC. SCE is a simple, inexpensive and reproducible diagnostic tool that might help in solving a challenging diagnosis. Multimodal imaging has a leading role in both proper diagnosis and in management of this condition Abstract P243 Figure. Anomls. RCA - PLSVC to CS -Contrast echo

Malignant Course of the Right Coronary Artery Originating from the Left Main Coronary Artery: An Odd Exit.

Introduction:Congenital coronary artery anomalies are quite uncommon with estimates ranging from 0.2% to 1.3% on coronary angiography. The rarity of these anomalies makes their diagnosis a formidable challenge. Variable arterial courses have been described. In this report, we present a case with unique arterial course, which starts as a hyperacute take-off of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left main coronary artery (LMCA), with subsequent coursing, without external compression, between the right ventricular outflow tract and aorta. Our case is relevant to the concept of whether we should keep a reasonable index of suspicion for coronary artery anomalies during cardiac evaluations of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgeries.Clinical case:This is an asymptomatic 47-year-old African American female who presented for cardiac clearance for renal transplantation. She had a past medical history of hypertension, bronchial asthma, and former smoking of 10 years (quitting 15 years prior to presentation). She also has end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. Cardiac workup revealed left ventricular hypertrophy on EKG, multi-chamber dilation seen on echo, and anomalous RCA course seen on CT coronary angiography. Cardiac catheterization revealed non-obstructive coronary artery disease of the LCX and RCA. After consulting with cardiothoracic surgery, conservative medical management was decided based on the patient’s risk stratification. She was advised to have close monitoring of her condition.Discussion:Coronary artery anomalies represent the second most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. At this time, the prevalence of right coronary artery (RCA) take off from the left coronary sinus occurs at a percentage of 0.019% to 0.49%. The RCA origination from the left main coronary artery (LMCA) accounts for only 0.65% of these anomalies. Our patient had high-risk anatomy consisting of a hyper-angulated take-off of the RCA from the LMCA as well as course between the pulmonary artery and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). CT coronary angiography is the most useful imaging modality that characterizes coronary artery anomalies. Although this patient exhibited no signs or symptoms of cardiorespiratory compromise, she warranted a full cardiac workup preoperatively that incidentally revealed a coronary anomaly. Recognition of this disease is critical for timely prevention of potential complications as well as discussion of goals of care. Guidelines for medical versus surgical management are available, but the management strategy should be individualized, with the highest consideration given to risk-benefit analysis.

Coronary artery bypass grafting experience in the setting of an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva: Midterm results.

An anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left sinus of Valsalva with an interarterial course is a rare congenital anomaly. We aimed to assess midterm results after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for the treatment of anomalous RCA arising from the left sinus of Valsalva. From 2008 to 2012, 16 patients underwent CABG for treatment of an anomalous origin of the RCA from the left sinus of Valsalva. Details such as risk factors, operative details, and results of multislice coronary angiography follow-up were assessed. The mean age of the patients was 34.8 ± 4.68 years, and most of them were male (15 out of 16, 93.75%). They received a mean of 1.5 ± 0.87 grafts. Closure of the RCA was completed in all patients except one (15 out of 16), who developed ischemic symptoms upon closing the proximal part of the RCA. One in-hospital death occurred. Among the remaining patients, symptoms persisted in 2 out of 15. The mean follow-up time was 63.4 ± 28.6 months. All patients had patent vessels on 5-year follow-up multislice computed tomography scans, except one patient who showed RCA graft occlusion on the 1-year follow-up scan. The CABG of the RCA with anomalous origin can be done safely with excellent early and midterm results. Proximal RCA ligation is an essential step to the success of CABG, but intraoperative challenge testing is required to confirm the sufficiency of the internal thoracic artery graft to reperfuse the supplied territory.

Technical success and long-term outcomes after anomalous right coronary artery stenting with cardiac computed tomography angiography correlation.

Anomalous origin of coronary arteries has been observed in about 0.35-2.10% of the population. Patients with anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA) may present with significant symptoms, arrhythmias or ACS, and at times sudden death. Traditionally, surgical correction has been the recommended treatment. However, these may be technically challenging, and bypass grafting for such anomalies has the potential for graft failure because of competitive flow. We sought to determine the intermediate and long-term outcomes of drug-eluting stent placement for patients with symptomatic ARCA. We also looked at angiographic findings suggestive of interarterial course as confirmed by subsequent computed tomography (CT) findings. Between January 2005 and December 2012, we enrolled 11 patients for elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of ARCA in a single center, prospective, nonrandomized fashion. Patients were followed up in clinic at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, and then annually or more frequently if needed. All patients underwent a cardiac CT, as well as functional stress testing when needed to assess for recurrence of disease. All 11 of our patients, who presented with significant symptomatic stenosis with an ARCA, were successfully treated with PCI. Mean follow-up duration was 8.5 years. The only two deaths during follow-up were related to noncardiac causes (sepsis), with a mortality rate of 18.2%. Two patients had a positive functional study and on subsequent coronary angiography, one of them had significant in-stent restenosis (target lesion revascularization of 9.1%) and one distal to the stent (target vessel revascularization 9.1%). We found the observation of a "slit-like lesion" on angiography to have a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86% for the diagnosis of interarterial course of the anomalous vessel seen on subsequent CT. Our study results suggest that PCI of ARCA is an effective and low-risk alternative to surgical correction, with good procedural success and long-term outcomes. It can provide symptomatic relief in such patients and may reduce the risk of sudden death in younger patients, without the inherent risks associated with surgical repair.