Anomalous Origin of Left Coronary Artery with Intramural Aortic Course Causing Symptoms in a Teenaged Athlete

Abstract

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the opposite sinus of Valsalva with an intramural aortic course is a rare congenital anomaly with a poor prognosis. We report the case of a 14-year-old soccer player who briefly lost consciousness while sprinting. He had exertional chest pain, syncope, ischemic changes on his electrocardiogram, and elevated cardiac troponin levels. Computed tomographic angiograms showed an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva and a course through the aortic wall toward the left coronary sinus. A surgically created neo-ostium in the left coronary sinus relieved the patient's ischemia, and he resumed playing soccer after cardiac rehabilitation.

Keywords: Adolescent; coronary vessel anomalies/diagnosis/diagnostic imaging/epidemiology/surgery; death, sudden, cardiac/prevention & control; myocardial ischemia/etiology; sinus of Valsalva/abnormalities; treatment outcome; vascular malformations/physiopathology.