title: Variant origin and course of left circumflex coronary artery.
abstract: Variant origin of left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) from right aortic sinus is a well-recognized coronary variation, usually without any clinical consequences. However, the variant origin and trajectory of the artery may have major implications during percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery surgery, aortic and mitral valve replacement procedures. We observed a variant LCx in a heart specimen belonging to 45-year-female with no history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. The artery arose along with the right coronary artery from a common ostium in right aortic sinus and depicted a retroaortic course. The vessel was located at the level of aortic annulus and 6.6 mm above mitral valve annulus. The degree of luminal stenosis in variant LCx was higher than that in right coronary artery (RCA) and left anterior descending artery (LAD). Appropriate anatomical knowledge of the location and course of variant LCx is important for successful coronary interventions and valve replacement procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Arpandeep
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Abhimanyu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India. anjli_doc@yahoo.co.|, #123-c Type IV Flats, Sector 24 A, Chandigarh, 160023, India. anjli_doc@yahoo.co.
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Tulika
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Uma Nahar
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Saikia
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Manoj Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rohit
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Daisy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sahni
mesh_terms: D063405:Anatomic Variation; D002102:Cadaver; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Percutaneous coronary intervention; Prosthetic valve replacement; Variant left circumflex coronary artery