Coronary artery anomaly
| Coronary artery anomaly | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Malformation of coronary vessels |
 | |
| Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus by CMR with an inter-arterial, potentially dangerous course | |
| Specialty | Medical genetics  |
Coronary artery anomalies (or malformation of coronary vessels) are congenital abnormalities in the coronary anatomy of the heart. By definition, these abnormalities are variants of anatomy occurring in less than 1% of the general population. They are often found in combination with other congenital heart defects. Many coronary anomalies don't cause symptoms and are recognized only at the time of autopsy.
They can be associated with sudden death.[1] The real risk of death or the best way to treat these patients is not yet known. The Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society has started a long-term ongoing study called anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) to identify the best way to treat this defect.
References
- ^ Basso C, Maron BJ, Corrado D, Thiene G (May 2000). "Clinical profile of congenital coronary artery anomalies with origin from the wrong aortic sinus leading to sudden death in young competitive athletes". J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 35 (6): 1493–501. doi:10.1016/S0735-1097(00)00566-0. PMID 10807452.