title: Coronary artery anatomy and variants.
abstract: Variants and congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries are usually asymptomatic, but may present with severe chest pain or cardiac arrest. The introduction of multidetector CT coronary angiography (MDCT-CA) allows the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis. Improved performance with isotropic spatial resolution and higher temporal resolution provides a valid alternative to conventional coronary angiography (CCA) in many patients. MDCT-CA is now considered the ideal tool for three-dimensional visualization of the complex and tortuous anatomy of the coronary arteries. With multiplanar and volume-rendered reconstructions, MDCT-CA may even outperform CCA in determining the relative position of vessels, thus providing a better view of the coronary vascular anatomy. The purpose of this review is to describe the normal anatomy of the coronary arteries and their main variants based on MDCT-CA with appropriate reconstructions.
authors: Department of Radiology, Policlinico GB Rossi, University of Verona, PLA Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy. robertomalag@yahoo.it
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Malagò
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Pezzato
authors: Camilla
authors: C
authors: Barbiani
authors: Ugolino
authors: U
authors: Alfonsi
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Nicolì
authors: Giuliana
authors: G
authors: Caliari
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Pozzi Mucelli
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*