Anomalous Coronary Artery Identified Post Heart Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Transplant Surgery
• Cardiac Imaging

Background:

• Cardiac amyloidosis is a progressive disease leading to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
• Orthotopic heart transplantation is a treatment option for end-stage heart failure.
• Coronary artery anomalies can occur and may have clinical significance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of anomalous coronary artery anatomy discovered in a donor heart after transplantation.
• To highlight the importance of pre- and post-operative cardiac evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Case report detailing a patient's clinical course.
• Review of diagnostic imaging findings (e.g., coronary angiography, CT angiography).

Main Results:

• A 67-year-old male with cardiac amyloidosis underwent heart transplantation.
• Post-transplant imaging revealed an anomalous left circumflex coronary artery originating from the donor right coronary artery.
• The anomaly was identified in the donor heart's vasculature.

Conclusions:

• Anomalous coronary artery origins can be present in donor hearts, even after transplantation.
• Careful anatomical assessment is crucial in transplant recipients to detect such variations.
• This case underscores the variability of coronary anatomy encountered in cardiac transplantation.