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[The single coronary artery]
Insights
Single coronary artery, a rare heart anomaly, can worsen ischemia and lead to thrombosis. This condition, though often incidental, is linked to serious cardiac events like angina and infarction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
Background:
- Single coronary artery (SCA) is a rare congenital anomaly affecting coronary arteriograms in 0.4% of cases.
- SCA can be an incidental finding or associated with significant cardiovascular pathology.
Observation:
- The authors present three cases of SCA diagnosed in cardiology departments.
- All patients had cardiovascular risk factors, and SCA exacerbated their coronary ischemia.
Findings:
- In one case, SCA contributed to complete coronary artery thrombosis.
- Literature review suggests SCA is linked to angina, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death.
Implications:
- SCA should be considered in patients with unexplained ischemic symptoms, even with risk factors.
- Recognition of SCA is crucial for risk stratification and management of ischemic heart disease.
Abstract:
Single coronary artery is a fairly rare entity which may nevertheless be found in 0.4 per cent of coronary arteriograms. The authors report 3 cases seen in 2 departments of cardiology. In each patient, despite the existence of definite cardiovascular risk factors, this distribution was a factor worsening coronary ischemia, leading to complete thrombosis in one case. Although most often a chance discovery, a review of the literature justifies the attribution to this anomaly of the onset of angina, infarction or even sudden death.