A review of anomalous origination of a coronary artery from an opposite sinus of Valsalva (ACAOS) impact on major adverse cardiovascular events based on coronary computerized tomography angiography: a 6-year single center review.

BACKGROUND: Anomalous origination of a coronary artery from an opposite sinus of Valsalva (ACAOS) is a rare finding that is typically found on autopsy in a person with sudden cardiac death or during routine cardiovascular testing. The true prevalence is unknown for this reason. There is also question to the specific anatomy of the anomalies themselves and how best to correct them. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of all coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) studies to evaluate the incidence of all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke and late revascularization (>90 days following CCTA) from January 2005 until July 2012. We describe the origin of the artery, its course, slit-like appearance and treatment in this population. RESULTS: We reviewed 1518 CCTA reports and identified 22 patients with ACAOS with an incidence of 1.4% of our original study population over a review period of 6 years with a resultant median follow-up period of 25 months [interquartile range (IQR)25,75 12-34 months]. The indication for CCTA was for chest pain in the majority of patients (73%). We had one patient undergo surgical repair and one with coronary bypass grafting for unrelated symptomatic coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: ACAOS continues to be a rare but presumed fatal condition in subsets identified to carry high risk features. As the characteristics of the anomalous vessels that increase risk are still debated, over an intermediate to long follow up in a single large center, none of the different anomalous findings with varying degrees of high risk findings were associated with sudden death.

A case of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries discovered on coronary computed tomography.

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries is a rare condition accounting for less than 1% of all congenital cardiac diseases. The fundamental nature of this condition involves a blend of atrioventricular as well as ventriculoarterial discordance. Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries is classically associated with three additional abnormalities, including ventricular septal defect, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and tricuspid valve abnormalities. Patients with this anomaly have been shown to exhibit reduced exercise tolerance as well as reduced health-related quality of life when compared to patients with normal cardiovascular anatomy. We present the case of a 33-year-old active duty lieutenant in the United States Air Force referred to the cardiology clinic for evaluation of valvular heart disease with subsequent discovery of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries on cardiac gated computed tomography.

Anomalous left main coronary artery: case series of different courses and literature review.

Background. Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries are a cause of sudden cardiac death. Of the known anatomic variants, anomalous origination of a coronary artery from an opposite sinus of Valsalva (ACAOS) remains the main focus of debate. Case Series. We present three cases, all presenting to our facility within one week's time, of patients with newly discovered anomalous origination of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva (L-ACAOS). All patients underwent cardiac computed tomography for evaluation of coronary anatomy along with other forms of functional testing. Despite the high risk nature of two of the anomalies, the patients are being treated medically without recurrence of symptoms. Summary. After review of the literature, we have found that the risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with congenital coronary anomalies, even among variants considered the highest risk, may be overestimated. In addition, the exact prevalence of coronary anomalies in the general population is currently underestimated. A national coronary artery anomaly registry based on cardiac computed tomography and invasive coronary angiography data would be helpful in advancing our understanding of these cardiac peculiarities. The true prevalence of congenital coronary anomalies and overall risk of sudden cardiac death in this population are not well known. Surgical intervention remains the mainstay of therapy in certain patients though recent investigations into the pathophysiology of these abnormalities have shown that the risk of surgery may outweigh the minimal reduction in risk of sudden cardiac death.