Isolated single coronary artery: a series of 10 cases

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Coronary Artery Anomalies

Background:

• Isolated single coronary artery (SCA) is an extremely rare congenital anomaly.
• SCA can lead to severe clinical events like myocardial infarction, particularly in younger patients.
• Clinical presentation in middle-aged to elderly patients with SCA is variable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the clinical and angiographic features of adult patients with SCA.
• To report on the long-term follow-up and management strategies for SCA in adults.
• To evaluate the outcomes of adult patients diagnosed with SCA.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 70,850 coronary angiograms performed between 1999 and 2005.
• Identification and analysis of 10 adult patients diagnosed with isolated single coronary artery.
• Clinical and angiographic data collection, including origin of SCA and presence of atherosclerosis.

Main Results:

• SCA was identified in 10 patients (0.024%) with a mean age of 57 years.
• The majority of SCAs originated from the right sinus of Valsalva (70%).
• No atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was observed in 70% of the patients; all patients were followed uneventfully.

Conclusions:

• Medical management is generally sufficient for middle-aged to elderly patients with SCA.
• SCA patients without evidence of ischemia or acute coronary syndrome can be managed conservatively.
• Long-term follow-up in this cohort demonstrated uneventful outcomes with medical management.