The prevalence of coronary artery anomalies is reported to be around 0.3-1 %. An anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) is a rare condition but may lead to myocardial ischemia and sudden death. Diagnosis is mainly made by conventional coronary arteriography. Nowadays, multislice computed tomography is a new noninvasive imaging technique with excellent spatial resolution which can detect the origin and course of an anomalous coronary vessel. Here we report on a 67-year-old woman with an anomalous origin of the RCA arising from the pulmonary trunk. The anomaly was diagnosed by cardiac catheterization and confirmed by multislice computed tomography.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York.