Acute Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction as a Result of Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Arteryl from the Left Simus of Valsalva

ABSTRACT

The incidence of anomalous aortic origin of the coronary arteries in the general papulation is unknown. In recent reports from various laboratories, the incidence was between 0.6-12% in patients referred for coronary arteriogtaphy. Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva is reported to constitute from 6% to 27% of all coronary anomalies, For many years pathologists classified it as a minor anomaly of no clinical importance. Recently, manifstations of myocardial ischemia have been described in patients with this anomaly in the absence of additional atherosclerotic or other disease processes. These manifestations have included acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, syncope, nonfatal ventricular fibrillation, and sudden death. We report a case of 56-year-old male with the anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva, who had been admitted due to severe substernal chest pain and acute inferior wall myocardial infarction. The coronary angiography revealed that the right coronary artery originated from the left coronary sinus without significant atheroscleotic narrowing. The anomalous right coronary artery passed anteriorly between pulmonary artery and aortic root without significant coronary obstruction.