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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Right coronary artery anatomy: anatomical and morphometric analysis
Luis Ernesto Ballesteros1, Luis Miguel Ramirez, Ivan Dario Quintero
1Basic Sciences Department, Medicine Faculty, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia. lballest56@yahoo.es
Insights
The right coronary artery (RCA) in Colombians shows variations in size and branching patterns. Understanding these anatomical differences is crucial for cardiac procedures and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Anatomy
- Human Morphology
- Coronary Artery Anatomy
Background:
- The anatomical variability of the right coronary artery (RCA) is significant for surgical procedures and clinical events.
- Variations typically involve length, branching patterns, origin, and irrigated territories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly examine and evaluate the morphological characteristics of the RCA in the Colombian population.
Main Methods:
- Direct examination of 221 fresh human hearts.
- RCA ostium canalization with polyester synthetic resin injection into its branches.
Main Results:
- RCA proximal segment caliber: 3.42 ± 0.66 mm; acute angle caliber: 2.9 ± 0.50 mm.
- Posterior interventricular artery reached inferior third/apex/anterior interventricular sulcus in 67.4% of cases.
- Sinoatrial node artery originated from RCA in 60.6% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Observed RCA caliber is smaller than reported in most previous studies.
- Posterior right diagonal artery frequency is slightly higher than previously documented.
- These variations necessitate consideration in hemodynamic procedures, cardiac surgery, and arrhythmias.
Background:
It is necessary knowing the large variability of right coronary (RCA) artery specialty for its implications in surgical procedures and clinic events. This variability is usually related to the length, branches quantity, origin and irrigated territories.
Objective:
To evaluate by direct examination the morphologic expression of RCA in Colombian people.
Methods:
RCA were measured in 221 fresh hearts by RCA ostium canalization with polyester synthetic resin that was injected in their branches.
Results:
The caliber of the RCA proximal segment and at the level of the acute angle of the heart was 3.42 ± 0.66 mm and 2.9 ± 0.50 mm, respectively. It ended between crux cordis and the left margin in 75.6% of specimens. Posterior interventricular artery (PIA) reached the inferior third, or the apex, or the anterior interventricular sulcus in 149 (67.4%) cases. Sinoatrial node artery (SNA) originated in the right coronary in 134 (60.6%) cases, 77 (34.9%) from circumflex artery (CxA) and from both in 10 (4.5%). Posterior right diagonal artery (PRDA) was noted in 38 (17.2%) hearts, but only 6% of the sample with long PIA, concomitantly presented the PRDA (P = 0.001). In right dominance SNA were originated from RCA in 54.7% and form CxA in 46.3% (P = 0.06).
Conclusions:
Caliber of the RCA and its branches is lesser than the majority of previous studies, while the PRDA frequency is slightly higher than the reported in literature. Clinical and pathological scenarios by these variations should be taken into account: hemodynamic procedures, cardiac surgery and arrhythmias from coronary occlusive disease.
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