title: Degrees of severe stenoses in sigma-shaped versus C-shaped right coronary arteries.
abstract: The right coronary artery (RCA) appears either C-shaped or sigma-shaped during standard angiography. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess whether C-shaped RCAs are associated with more atherosclerotic disease than sigma-shaped RCAs. The study sample comprised 120 consecutive patients who underwent coronary catheterization and multivariate analysis was conducted using several systemic risk factors for atherosclerosis. The proportion of sigma-shaped RCAs found in a group whose angiograms showed little or no obstruction (70%) was significantly higher than that found in the group with significant obstruction (33%, p <0.001). In conclusion, a C-shaped RCA is associated with atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Carmel Medical Center, affiliated with the Rapparort Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dvir
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kornowski
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gurevich
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Orlov
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aravot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors