Surgical correction of left coronary artery origin from the right coronary artery.

Abstract

We describe the case of a patient with limiting angina pectoris and anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right coronary artery, with a retroaortic course. Myocardial ischemia in the left anterior descending territory was documented by positron emission tomography, confirmed by fractional flow reserve, and relieved by surgical coronary reimplantation. This patient did not have coronary atherosclerosis or any other significant anatomic abnormality, such as myocardial bridging or compression between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. We attempt to describe the mechanisms of myocardial ischemia that contributed to the clinical manifestations in our patient.