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Single left coronary artery with origin of the right coronary artery from distal circumflex

R L Shammas1, M J Miller, J D Babb

  • 1Section of Cardiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Clinical Cardiology
|February 24, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Two patients had agenesis of the right coronary ostium, with the left circumflex artery acting as the right coronary artery. This rare anomaly improved procedural efficiency in the second case.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Anatomical Variations
  • Interventional Cardiology

Background:

  • Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries are rare but can significantly impact cardiac function and surgical planning.
  • Agenesis of the right coronary ostium is an exceptionally uncommon finding.

Observation:

  • Two distinct cases of agenesis of the right coronary ostium were identified.
  • In both cases, the left circumflex artery (LCx) exhibited an unusual continuation, effectively serving as the right coronary artery (RCA).

Findings:

  • The anatomical anomaly involved the absence of the right coronary ostium.
  • The left circumflex artery supplied the territory typically perfused by the right coronary artery.
  • Recognition of this anomaly in the first case facilitated a more efficient approach in the second case.

Implications:

  • Accurate identification of coronary artery anomalies is crucial for successful cardiac interventions.
  • Understanding this specific anomaly can lead to optimized procedural strategies, reducing procedure time, contrast usage, and catheter manipulations.
  • This case report contributes to the literature on rare coronary artery variations and their clinical management.

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