Anomalous origin of culprit coronary arteries in acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: To describe a series of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients in whom anomalous origin of culprit coronary artery (AOCCA) was diagnosed. Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in AOCCA are performed very infrequently.

METHODS: Electronic databases from three high-volume tertiary cardiac centers were retrospectively searched for the presence of AOCCA in ACS.

RESULTS: Different types of AOCCA in ACS were identified in 20 patients. The most frequent AOCCA was left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) originating from right coronary artery (RCA) or directly from the right coronary sinus (RCS), n = 13, followed by high/atypical RCA, n = 3, LCA originating from RCS (n = 3) with either RCA-AOCCA (n = 1) or left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD)-AOCCA (n = 1) or RCA originating from left sinus of Valsalva, (n = 1), LAD originating from RCA (n = 1). In 1 ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)-patient RCA-AOCCA cannulation was unsuccessful, in 1 non-STEMI-patient AOCCA was missed, 1 ACS-patient was treated surgically and 1 ACS-patient was treated conservatively (both patients with non-STEMI). In the remaining patients PCI was successfully performed.

CONCLUSIONS: The most frequently encountered AOCCA is LCx branching-off from RCA. AOCCA may either be difficult to cannulate and PCI aborted even in STEMI, or missed, especially when the intermediate branch from LCA is mimicking proper LCx.