Anomalous Arising of Right Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery

Adrián Kolesár1, Tomáš Toporcer1, Jana Čobejová1

  • 1Department of Heart Surgery, East Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and Medical Faculty, University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice, 04011 Košice, Slovakia.

Insights

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare condition, often asymptomatic. Surgical correction is recommended only if symptoms of myocardial ischemia occur.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Congenital Heart Disease

Background:

  • Coronary artery anomalies occur in <1% of the population, with anomalous origin from the pulmonary artery being a rare subset.
  • Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (AORCAPA) has an incidence of 1 in 500,000.

Observation:

  • A case report details a 67-year-old male diagnosed with asymptomatic AORCAPA.
  • The patient presented for aortic valve stenosis surgery.

Findings:

  • A concomitant surgical procedure repositioned the anomalous right coronary artery origin to the aortic root.
  • The patient recovered well and was discharged on postoperative day 12.

Implications:

  • AORCAPA is frequently asymptomatic, necessitating intervention only when myocardial ischemia is evident.
  • This case highlights successful surgical management of AORCAPA in an adult undergoing unrelated cardiac surgery.

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