Case report: Intra-atrial course of right coronary artery: Evaluation by dual-source CT
Johann Christopher1, Chary Duraikannu
1Department of Cardiology, CARE Hospital, Hyderabad, India.
Insights
An unusual right coronary artery (RCA) path through the right atrium was identified using CT angiography. This clinically benign anomaly has significant implications for cardiac surgery and interventions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular anatomy
- Medical imaging
- Congenital heart variations
Background:
- Anomalous coronary artery origins are rare congenital heart defects.
- The right coronary artery (RCA) typically arises from the aorta.
- Variations in RCA course can impact cardiac procedures.
Observation:
- A case of right coronary artery (RCA) coursing through the right atrium is presented.
- Dual-source CT angiography was used for detailed anatomical evaluation.
- This specific RCA anomaly is infrequently documented in medical literature.
Findings:
- The anomalous RCA pathway was clearly visualized with CT angiography.
- The anomaly was noted to be clinically benign in this case.
- Previous reports of this anomaly were primarily incidental findings during autopsy or surgery.
Implications:
- This anatomical variant, though benign, poses significant risks during cardiac interventions.
- Awareness of this RCA anomaly is crucial for interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.
- Accurate pre-procedural imaging is vital for managing patients with coronary artery anomalies.
Abstract:
We report a case of an anomalous course of the right coronary artery (RCA) through the right atrium, which was evaluated using dual-source CT angiography. There have been a few cases described previously in literature, but most of them were found either during surgery or at autopsy. Although this variant is clinically benign, it has significant consequences during interventional procedures or bypass surgery.
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