title: Evaluation with 64-slice CT of the prevalence of coronary artery variants and congenital anomalies: a retrospective study of 3,236 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study retrospectively evaluated the prevalence of anatomical coronary artery variants and congenital anomalies in 3,236 patients imaged with 64-slice computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a period of 4 years, 3,236 patients underwent CT coronary angiography performed with the standard protocol. We assessed coronary artery dominance, presence of the intermediate branch, presence and number of diagonal and marginal branches and coronary anomalies subdivided into anomalies of origin and course, intrinsic anomalies and termination anomalies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coronary dominance was right-sided in 88.1% of patients; the intermediate branch was present in 21.3%, the number of diagonal and marginal branches was one to two in >90%, and the number of coronary anomalies was 224 (89 of origin and course, 129 intrinsic anomalies and six termination anomalies).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sixty-four-slice CT coronary angiography provides accurate three-dimensional evaluation of the coronary artery tree with correct visualisation of any coronary anomalies, a relatively common finding that had a prevalence of 5.7% in our study population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Molecular Imaging, Interventional Radiology and Radiation Therapy, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy. gabriele.bazzocchi@hotmail.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bazzocchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sperandio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed