title: The normal and abnormal anatomy of the coronary arteries.
abstract: Beneficial therapeutic options are increasingly available for coronary arterial disease. To take full advantage of these options, those performing the interventions require a thorough knowledge of the normal arrangement, and likely anatomic variations, of the coronary arterial system. A comprehensive appreciation of the architecture of the coronary arterial system, therefore, is crucial to optimal cardiac care. Simple attention to potential variations in the origin and course of the major coronary arteries can greatly enhance clinical outcomes. The objective of this review, therefore, is to describe the normal anatomical distribution of the coronary arteries in the human heart, and to list the most common arterial variations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, West Indies. mloukas@sgu.edu
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loukas
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Groat
authors.forename: Rajkamal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khangura
authors.forename: Deyzi Gueorguieva
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans