The anomalous origin of coronary arteries causing sudden death and its clinical significance / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the morbidity of anomalous coronary origin from the opposite coronary sinus, which may cause sudden death of young athletes in Chinese population.And to identify the imaging characteristics of this anomaly and its clinical significance combined with literature review.Methods The computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTCA) database at TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital was reviewed.All of the patients diagnosed with isolated anomalous origin of a coronary artery from the opposite sinus of valsalva (anomalous origin of coronary artery, AOCA) and subsequent coursing between the pulmonary artery and the aorta were collected from 14 343 Chinese individuals.The location of anomalous coronary origin, the shape and course of the proximal ectopic arterial segments were identified.The nonatherosclerostic stenotic caliber of the segments and the angle between the ectopic coronary artery and the adjacent aortic wall were assessed.Results Seventy-four patients of AOCA (including the left or right single coronary artery) were diagnosed using CTCA.Among the 74 cases, the potentially serious course of the ectopic coronary artery between the pulmonary artery and the aorta were identified in 59 individuals.Fifty-six cases of ectopic right coronary with interarterial course (anomalous origin of right coronary artery, AORCA) and three patients with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery (AOLCA) were found, including two cases judged as potentially serious origin of either single left coronary artery (n=1) or single right coronary artery (n=1).The morbidity of the potentially serious anomalous origin of coronary artery in Chinese population was established as 4.1‰ (59/14 343).In the subgroup of AORCA, the lumen of initial ectopic segment was frequently compressed and stenotic.In 29 cases (52.7%) the stenosis of the lumen were more than 50%, and in 3 cases (5.4%) the stenosis of the ectopic coronary artery were more than 70%.The incidence of AORCA was 17.7 times higher (56/3) than that of AOLCA in Chinese population.Conclusions Nowadays CTCA is considered the most useful imaging technique in identifying the origin, shape and course of ectopic initial segment of the coronary artery.The significance of these anatomic characteristics, that may induce sudden death in Chinese young athletes, need to be investigated further.