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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
A study of coronary artery variants and anomalies observed at a tertiary care armed forces hospital using 64-slice
Akhilesh Rao1, Yayati Pimpalwar1, Neha Yadu1
1Department of Radiodiagnosis & Imaging, Command Hospital (CC), Lucknow, India.
Insights
Coronary CT angiography is a valuable tool for identifying coronary artery variants and anomalies, aiding in clinical planning. This non-invasive method provides detailed anatomy, crucial for interventional procedures and understanding potential cardiac risks.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Anatomical Pathology
Background:
- Isolated coronary artery anomalies are often asymptomatic, detected incidentally, but can be linked to sudden cardiac death.
- Accurate anatomical knowledge of coronary variants is essential for planning cardiac interventions.
- Computed tomography coronary angiography offers superior, non-invasive visualization of coronary anatomy compared to conventional methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the prevalence and types of coronary artery variants and anomalies.
- To evaluate the utility of coronary CT angiography in visualizing coronary anatomy and anomalies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of coronary CT angiography studies conducted between August 2014 and December 2015.
- Analysis of coronary artery dominance, visualization of smaller branches, and identification of anomalies of origin and course.
Main Results:
- Right dominance was observed in 77% of patients, with left dominance in 12% and co-dominance in 11%.
- Coronary CT angiography successfully visualized smaller branches like the conus artery (96.25%), sinus node artery (83.07%), and septal branches (95.27%).
- Coronary anomalies were identified in 10.04% of the cohort, with eleven anomalies of origin and course documented.
Conclusions:
- Coronary CT angiography provides comprehensive insights into coronary artery variations and anomalies.
- This detailed anatomical understanding significantly assists clinicians in planning interventional procedures.
Background:
Isolated coronary artery anomalies are usually clinically silent and mostly detected incidentally during angiography or autopsy. However, few of them may be implicated in cases of sudden cardiac death even in the absence of additional heart abnormalities. Prior knowledge of such variants and anomalies is necessary for planning various interventional procedures. Multiple detector computed tomography coronary angiography has proved a very useful non-invasive modality in this field given its superiority over conventional coronary angiography in providing detailed coronary artery anatomy.
Methods:
A retrospective review of the coronary CT angiography studies was carried out at our center between August 2014 and December 2015 with the purpose of describing the coronary artery variants and anomalies that we came across in our cohort.
Results:
In our cohort, about 77% (n=391) of the patients had a right dominant system while left dominant and co-dominant systems were seen in 12% (n=61) and 11% (n=56) respectively. Coronary CT angiography was successful in visualizing smaller branches, such as the conus artery (96.25%, n=489), the sinus node artery (83.07%, n=422), and the septal branches (95.27%, n=484). Coronary anomalies were observed in the 10.04% of our population (n=51). Eleven anomalies of origin and course were found.
Conclusion:
Coronary CT angiography gives us a good understanding of the variations and anomalies of the anatomy of the coronary arteries. This can be of immense help to the clinician planning interventional procedures.
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