Diagnostic modalities for the evaluation of anomalous left main coronary arteries

Abstract 

Anomalous coronary arteries are rare and usually identified as an incidental finding during cardiac catheterization. The particular difficulty with cardiac catheterization techniques is not necessarily the presence of the anomalous coronary artery, but its anatomic course. Oftentimes, surgical intervention is necessary once these anomalies are discovered. The identification and anatomic characterization of anomalous coronary arteries has been significantly advanced with the use of current diagnostic noninvasive imaging modalities. We present 3 cases of an anomalous left main coronary artery that arises from the right sinus of Valsalva. Noninvasive imaging methods provided a clear anatomic course of the anomalous vessel.

Keywords: Computed tomography, Coronary vessel anomalies, Echocardiography, Magnetic resonance imaging, Sudden death