Aberrant Coronary Artery Origin

Twenty-one patients with anomalous coronary artery origin from the aorta are discussed, and the cases reported in the literature are reviewed. The left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (Cx) arteries arose aberrantly from the right sinus of Valsalva of the aorta (RSV) in six patients. In four of these patients the connecting branch from the anomalous origin passed anterior to the aorta and the right ventricular infundibulum (RVinf), and in two patients, this branch passed between the aorta and RVinf. In 11 patients only the Cx was aberrant, and arose either from the RSV directly or from the right coronary artery (RCA), and passed posterior to the aorta and RVinf. In four patients the RCA arose aberrantly in three from the left sinus of Valsalva of the aorta passing anteriorly, and in one from the left Cx passing posteriorly. Aberrant coronary artery origin from the aorta had clinical consequences only when the branch connecting the LAD and Cx to the RSV passed between the aorta and RVinf. Both our findings and those reported in the literature associate this variant with exertional sudden death in young persons. Anomalous coronary patterns can be delineated readily by selective coronary cineangiography, and as illustrated, the right anterior oblique projection can readily distinguish those prone to sudden death from the clinically insignificant variants. The former can be corrected with coronary artery bypass surgery.