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O riginal A rticle
Variant Anatomy of Coronary Arteries
Jyoti P Kulkarni
Department of Anatomy, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Wide variations exist in the size, position, and shape of various body organs, finger prints, and proteins in
different individuals. Some variations are of considerable clinical importance, such as the coronary arteries. Variations
of coronary arteries can cause important clinical manifestation, including sudden death of the individual. Materials and
Methods: Coronary arteries were dissected in 10% formalin-fixed cadaveric hearts. The normal and variant anatomy of
coronary arteries was studied. Result: In 100% of cases, the right coronary artery (RCA) and main left coronary artery (LCA)
were found to arise from anterior aortic sinus and left posterior aortic sinus, respectively. In 8% of cases, the conus was found
to have independent origin from the anterior aortic sinus. The RCA was found to be dominant in 90% of cases. In 66.7% of
cases, the length of RCA ranged from 4.5 cm to 7 cm. The average length of LCA was found to be 7 mm. In 10% of cases, the
circumflex coronary artery was found to be dominant, where the length of the artery ranged 9-11 cm. In 10% of cases, LCA
trifurcated, where the obtuse marginal branch was replaced by the ramus intermedius branch. Also, 43.3% of LAD showed
myocardial bridging predominantly in the middle 1/3rd segment, and 6.7% of cases of RCA showed myocardial looping.
Discussion: Coronary arteries show immense variation in their origin, termination, branching pattern, myocardial bridging,
looping, and dominance pattern. This knowledge is clinically and surgically important to manage coronary artery diseases.
Key words: Left coronary artery, looping, myocardial bridging, ramus intermedius, right coronary artery
INTRODUCTION
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RESULTS
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Kulkarni: Coronary artery variations
Figure 3: (a) Conus branch of RCA, (b) Myocardial bridge over the
branch of RCA (a)
LCA
RCA
60 (100%)
Right conus
5 (8%)
60 (100%)
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Kulkarni: Coronary artery variations
DISCUSSION
The RCA, after arising from the anterior aortic sinus, usually
gives the following branches: Branch to SA node, conus, acute
marginal, PD, and branch to AV node. PD branch gives septal
branches to the posterior 1/3rd of interventricular septum.
The LCA usually bifurcates into LAD and circumflex coronary
artery. The LAD gives septal branches to the anterior 2/3rd of
interventricular septum. It also gives 2-3 diagonal branches on the
sternocostal surface. The circumflex coronary artery gives obtuse
marginal branch and ends at the crux of the heart by giving PD
branch and branch to AV node. The PD and branch to AV node
decides the dominance of coronary arteries. If it is a branch of
the right coronary, it is called as right-dominant circulation. If it
is a branch of CX, then it is said to be left-dominant circulation.
Codominance may also exist. Usually, the coronaries lie on the
LCA
LAD
CX
RI
60
(100%)
60
(100%)
10
(16.6%)
RCA
CX
LAD
OM
Diagonals
PD
AVN
Right
conus
Left
conus
SAN
AM
2 (3.3%)
54 (90%) 54 (90%) 55 (91.6%)
06 (10%) 06 (10%)
50 (83.3%)
60 (100%) 60 (100%)
60 (100%)
LCA: Left coronary artery, LAD: Left anterior descending or Left anterior interventricular artery, CX: Circumflex coronary artery, RI: Ramus intermedius branch, RCA: Right
coronary artery, PD: Posterior descending or posterior interventricular artery, AVN: Branch to AV node, SAN: Branch to sinoatrial node, OM: Obtuse marginal branch,
AM: Acute marginal branch
5 mm
7 mm
10 mm
48
No. of cases
Length of
LAD
No. of cases
Trifurcation
of LCA
Bifurcation
of LCA
Length of
CX (cm)
No. of cases
Dominance
46 (76.7%)
11(18.3%)
3 (5%)
4-7 cm
7-10 cm
11-14 cm
14-17 cm
2 (3.3%)
10 (16.6%)
40 (66.66%)
08 (13.33%)
10 (16.6%)
50 (83.3%)
3-5 cm
5-9 cm
9-11 cm
12 (20%)
42 (70%)
06 (10%)
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Kulkarni: Coronary artery variations
No. of
cases
6-8 cm
8-14 cm
14-17 cm
8 (13.33%)
39 (65%)
03 (5%)
Dominance Length
of AM
+
+
3-4.5
4.5-7
7-10
No. of cases
14 (23.33%)
40 (66.66%)
06 (10%)
No. of cases
Length (cm)
No. of cases
Circumflex
RCA
06 (10%)
54 (90%)
3-5
5.1-7.5
7.6-9
21 (35%)
36 (60%)
3 (5%)
Myocardial bridging
No. of cases
LAD
Cx
RCA
AM
PD
OM
26 (43.33%)
3 (5%)
4 (6.66%)
6 (10%)
10 (16.66%)
04 (6.66%)
No. of cases
Proximal 1/3
Middle 1/3
Proximal+Middle 1/3
Middle+Distal 1/3
Distal 1/3
2
16
1
5
2
3.33
26.66
1.6
8.33
3.33
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Kulkarni: Coronary artery variations
CONCLUSION
Most of the variations are totally benign; some are errors
of embryological developmental timing or persistence of an
embryologic condition. Coronary artery variations are important
from clinical and surgical point of view. The study of coronary
artery variation is important to prevent false interpretation of the
coronary artery angiograms and to study and manage diseases
related to coronary arteries.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Department of Anatomy, Seth GS Medical College, KEM Hospital,
Mumbai.
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Kulkarni: Coronary artery variations
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How to cite this article: Kulkarni JP. Variant anatomy of coronary arteries. Heart India 2013;1:46-51.
Source of Support: Department of Anatomy, Seth GS Medical College,
KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest.
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