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Coronary dominance patterns in the human heart investigated by corrosion casting

Décio Cavalet Soares Abuchaim1, Carlos Alexandre Spera, Djalma Luis Faraco

  • 1serviço de Cirurgia Cardiovascular, Hospital Santa Catarina, Blumenau, Brasil. decioabu@terra.com.br

Revista Brasileira De Cirurgia Cardiovascular : Orgao Oficial Da Sociedade Brasileira De Cirurgia Cardiovascular
|March 23, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Right dominance is the most common human heart circulation pattern, featuring an average of 2.16 branches to the left ventricle. Left dominance shows fewer branches, and no intercoronary anastomoses were observed in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Anatomy
  • Human Physiology
  • Coronary Circulation

Background:

  • Understanding coronary circulation patterns is crucial for diagnosing and treating cardiac conditions.
  • Variations in coronary artery branching and dominance can influence myocardial perfusion and susceptibility to ischemia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dominance patterns of human heart coronary circulation.
  • To quantify the number of branches from the right coronary artery to the left ventricle and vice versa.
  • To determine the frequency and location of intercoronary anastomoses.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized corrosion casting with colored acrylic resin on 25 human hearts.
  • Employed hydrochloric acid for resin corrosion to reveal vascular structures.
  • Excluded specimens with cardiac lesions or scars to ensure data integrity.

Main Results:

  • Right dominance was observed in 72% of hearts, with an average of 2.16 branches supplying the left ventricle.
  • Left dominance occurred in 20% of subjects, with an average of 1.2 branches to the right ventricle.
  • Balanced circulation was found in 8% of specimens; no intercoronary anastomoses were detected.

Conclusions:

  • Right dominance represents the predominant pattern of coronary circulation in the human heart.
  • The number of branches from the dominant coronary artery to the respective ventricle varies significantly.
  • The absence of observed intercoronary anastomoses warrants further investigation.
Abstract

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