title: Detection of anomalous origins of the coronary artery by means of multislice computed tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anomalous origins of the coronary artery are rare, but may cause myocardial ischemia and sudden death. Thus, their reliable identification is crucial for any imaging method that attempts coronary artery visualization and of those available multislice computed tomography (MSCT), which provides excellent spatial resolution, may be the most promising.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In consecutive 1,153 patients, MSCT identified 5 patients (0.43 %) with an anomalous origin of the coronary artery. The left circumflex artery (LCX) originated from the right sinus of Valsalva in 1 patient, and the right coronary artery originated from the left sinus of Valsalva and coursed between the aortic root and the pulmonary artery in 3 patients. In 1 patient, MSCT identified the absence of the LCX and high-grade atherosclerotic stenosis in the right coronary artery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MSCT can detect the anomalous origin and course of the coronary artery in relation to the great vessels. It is also useful for identifying atherosclerotic coronary artery disease superimposed on the anomalous vascular system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. yuichis@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Shigemasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Tadateru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.forename: Taeko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunimasa
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuhashi
authors.forename: Motoichiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D019521:Body Patterning; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed