Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 15, 2026
Creation of Two Saccular Elastase-Digested Aneurysms with Different Hemodynamics in One Rabbit
Published on: April 15, 2021
Case report: a common trunk of the coronary arteries
Erich Brenner1, Elisabeth Pechriggl2, Marit Zwierzina2
1Division for Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstrasse 59, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. erich.brenner@i-med.ac.at.
Insights
A rare variant left coronary artery (LCA) originating from the right sinus of Valsalva was identified in a 79-year-old woman. This anatomical variation, seen in only 0.17% of individuals, requires careful consideration in cardiac procedures.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Anatomy
- Medical Imaging
- Clinical Cardiology
Background:
- Anatomical variations in coronary arteries can impact cardiac health and surgical outcomes.
- Understanding coronary artery anomalies is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
Observation:
- A unique case of a 79-year-old woman with no prior cardiac history presented with an unusual coronary artery anatomy.
- The right coronary artery (RCA) was regular, but the left coronary artery (LCA) originated anomalously from the right sinus of Valsalva with a very short common stem.
Findings:
- The variant LCA followed a preinfundibular course with a cranial-anterior loop before branching into typical left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCx) arteries.
- The posterior interventricular branch originated from the RCA, consistent with normal branching patterns, despite the LCA anomaly.
- The reported incidence of this specific LCA variation is extremely rare, estimated at 0.17%.
Implications:
- Accurate identification of this LCA variant through methods like angiography is critical.
- This anatomical anomaly necessitates careful consideration during procedures such as direct coronary artery surgery or prosthetic valve replacement to prevent complications.
Abstract:
We describe the heart from a 79-year-old woman with no medical history of cardiac complaints. Her heart shows a regular right coronary artery (RCA) and a variant left coronary artery (LCA) arising from the right sinus of Valsalva. The common stem of the RCA and the LCA is extremely short. The LCA depicts a preinfundibular course with a cranial-anterior loop and reaches the intersection of the anterior interventricular sulcus and the left coronary sulcus, where it divides into the regular branches, the anterior interventricular branch (left anterior descending, LAD) and the circumflex branch (left circumflex, LCx). All further branching resembles a normal distribution with the posterior interventricular branch coming for the RCA. Such a variant LCA is extremely rare with a reported incidence of 0.17 %. However, recognition and angiographic demonstration of such a variation assume the highest priority in a patient undergoing, for instance, direct coronary artery surgery or prosthetic valve replacement.
