Right coronary artery arising from the pulmonary trunk
Cinzia Capuano1, Marco Sesana, Fabio Capuano
1Catheterization Laboratory, Poliambulanza Hospital, Brescia, Italy. cinziacap2002@yahoo.it
Abstract:
The right coronary artery (RCA) abnormally originating from the pulmonary trunk (PT) is a rare congenital anomaly. Our patient is a 62-year-old woman with longstanding systemic arterial hypertension and angina pectoris. Angiographic images documented the RCA arising from the PT, and coronary angiography showed severe stenosis (70%) on the distal tract of the left anterior descending artery. The primary treatment of the anomalous origin of RCA from the pulmonary artery is surgical technique. Our surgeons opted for coronary reimplantation; 6-month follow-up has shown very good results, with complete disappearance of symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
Coronary Circulation
Coronary circulation begins at the base of the aorta, where two main arteries arise—the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries encircle the heart in the coronary sulcus and supply the...
Overview of Pulmonary Circulation
The process begins with the right ventricle of the heart pumping deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary trunk. This large vessel extends about 5 centimeters before splitting into the left and right pulmonary arteries. These arteries...
Overview of Systemic and Pulmonary Circulation
The oxygenated blood is sent...
The Arch of Aorta
Encircling the heart, the coronary arteries form a ring-like structure before...
Thoracic Aorta
Physiology of the Heart: The Cardiac Cycle
Diastole: The Relaxation Phase
During diastole, all four heart chambers relax. The atrioventricular (AV) valves open, and the semilunar valves close. This phase sees the lowest chamber pressures, promoting ventricular filling. Venous blood enters the heart through the...


