Coronary artery origin anomalies. Analysis of 10.000 coronary angiographies

Background: Between 0.3 and 1.3% of coronary arteries have anomalous origins. Circumflex artery has the higher frequency of anomalies. Aim: To study the frequency of congenital anomalous origins of coronary arteries among adult patients subjected to a coronary angiography. Materials and Methods: Analysis of reports of 10,000 coronary angiographies performed in a clinical hospital. Patients with congenital heart disease were excluded. Results: One hundred twenty nine patients (1.3%), aged 59 +/- 12 years (70% males) had congenital anomalies in the origin of coronary arteries. The most common anomaly was the origin of right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus in 75%, followed from the origin of circumflex artery from the right side in 20%. No association between origin anomalies and atherosclerosis or aortic valve disease, was observed. Conclusions: In this series of patients, origin anomalies of coronary arteries were not associated with aortic valve disease or atherosclerosis differing from other published reports. Right coronary artery had the highest frequency of anomalies. (Rev Med Chile 2010; 138: 7-14)