Successful intraoperative identification of an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery using real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery (LCA) from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital defect that presents only infrequently in adults. An adult diagnosed with ALCAPA, heart failure, and mitral regurgitation underwent surgical ligation of the anomalous origin of the LCA from the pulmonary artery (PA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The anomalous origin in the PA and proximal segment of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was successfully delineated via real time, three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography during surgery. This modality allows for fast assessment and novel views of complex cardiac abnormalities and can aid in perioperative monitoring.