title: Aberrant right coronary artery origin from the left aortic sinus with interarterial course manifesting acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: A 43-year-old patient was admitted to hospital because of an inferior-posterior myocardial infarction. The admission electrocardiogram was suggestive of a right coronary artery (RCA) culprit lesion. Coronary angiography following successful thrombolysis revealed a normal left system and mild intraluminal disease of the dominant RCA, which arose from the left aortic sinus and travelled an interarterial course; the latter was depicted in a subsequent computed tomographic angiogram. The lack of ST segment elevation in V4R and the absence of right ventricular wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography precluded the proximal ectopic vessel from being the culprit. The patient was managed medically; one year following discharge, he is asymptomatic. In cases of aberrant anomalous origin of a coronary artery from the opposite sinus with interarterial course, the proximal ectopic vessel is intussuscepted within the aortic wall, potentially leading to ischemia. The present article highlights that, although medical treatment in cases of such an aberrant RCA without apparent ischemia-driven sequelae may be valid, the need for interventional treatment could be substantiated following investigation of the anatomofunctional features of the intussuscepted proximal ectopic segment with intravascular ultrasound.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, New Nicosia General Hospital, Strovolos, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Andreas Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Andreou
authors.forename: Marios A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.forename: Panayiotis C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Avraamides
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Georgiou