Clinically Relevant Morphometric Study Of Left Coronary Artery In Adult Human Cadavers

Background: The anatomical variations of left coronary artery [LCA] determine the course in the pathogenesis ofatherosclerosis, mechanical stress and hemodynamic change.Aim: To study the gross anatomy of left coronary artery [LCA] in terms of its origin, termination, branchingpattern, dominance pattern, external diameter at origin, length of main trunk of left coronary artery, variationsand/ anomalies if present.Materials and Methods: After an ethical approval, 150 adult human cadaveric hearts were collected fromDepartment of Anatomy, B.V.D.U. Medical College and Hospital, Sangli and Pune. The careful dissection wascarried out to note details about left coronary artery and data was analyzed using SPSS software.Results: The origin of left coronary artery was observed in the left posterior aortic sinus 100%. The incidence ofbifurcation, trifurcation and quadrifurcation was 69.33, 28% and 2.67% respectively. SA nodal artery was directlyarising from main trunk of left coronary artery in 2 hearts (1.33%). Circumflex branch of left coronary artery gaveSA nodal artery, AV nodal artery and posterior interventricular artery in 18.66%, 16% and 16% hearts respectively.In one case (0.66%), we found a hyperdominant left anterior descending artery which continued as posteriorinterventricular artery [PDA] occupying entire posterior interventricular sulcus and terminated at crux of theheart by giving AV nodal artery. Hence left dominance was observed in total 16.66% cases. The mean externaldiameter of left coronary artery at its origin was 5.02 ±1.0328. Length of main trunk of left coronary artery wasranging from 4 mm to 22 mm with mean length of 11.66±3.529 mm.Conclusion: Short or long main trunk of left coronary artery, small diameter of main trunk, additional terminalbranches of left coronary artery, left coronary artery dominance, Mouchet’s posterior recurrent interventricularartery, hyperdominanant left anterior descending artery are the significant anatomical factors which decide theextent of coronary insufficiency, its functional impact and may create challenges during the interventionalcoronary care.

Morphologic relationship between the coronary arteries during fetal development / Relación morfológica entre las arterias coronarias durante el desarrollo fetal

SUMMARY: A detailed understanding of the coronary arteries is of paramount importance in the management of coronary arterial diseases. The arterial supply to the heart originates from right (RCA) and left (LCA) coronary arteries which form an oblique inverted crown within the atrioventricular groove. This study aimed to document the embryologic relationship between the RCA and the LCA including their lengths, diameters, branching patterns and arterial dominance in fetuses. Forty-one human fetal heart specimens with an age range of 13.13 to 26.95 weeks were dissected at the Department of Clinical Anatomy, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. The RCA arose from the right aortic sinus and was dominant in all the specimens. The LCA was classified into types according to their branching pattern. The bifurcation, trifurcation and quadrifurcation of the LCA occurred in 68.3 %, 29.3 % and 2.4 % of hearts, respectively. The mean lengths of the RCA and LCA were 0.98±0.54 mm and 1.83±0.77 mm, respectively. The mean external diameters of the RCA and LCA were 0.38±0.12 mm and 0.49±0.17 mm, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the RCA and LCA length and the fetal age which is indicative of significant changes in the coronary vasculature with fetal growth.

RESUMEN: Una comprensión detallada de las arterias coronarias es de suma importancia en el manejo de las enfermedades en estas arterias. El suministro arterial al corazón se origina de las arterias coronarias derecha (ACD) e izquierda (ACI) que forman una "corona oblicua invertida" dentro del surco atrioventricular. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo documentar la relación embriológica entre la ACD y la ACI, incluyendo sus longitudes, diámetros, patrones de ramificación y dominio arterial en fetos. Se disecaron 41 corazones de fetos humanos con un rango de edad de 13,13 a 26,95 semanas, en el Departamento de Anatomía Clínica, Universidad de Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, Sudáfrica. La ACD surgió del seno aórtico derecho y fue dominante en todos los especímenes. La ACI se clasificó en distintos tipos según su patrón de ramificación. La bifurcación, trifurcación y cuadrifurcación de la ACI ocurrieron en 68,3 %, 29,3 % y 2,4 % de los corazones, respectivamente. Las longitudes medias de la ACD y ACI fueron 0,98 ± 0,54 mm y 1,83 ± 0,77 mm, respectivamente. Los diámetros externos medios de la ACD y ACI fueron 0,38 ± 0,12 mm y 0,49 ± 0,17 mm, respectivamente. Hubo una correlación significativa entre la longitud de la ACD y la ACI y la edad fetal, que es indicativa de cambios significativos en la vasculatura coronaria con crecimiento fetal.