Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. 2009; 37(1): 44-47

Anomalous right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva presenting a challenge for percutaneous coronary intervention

Mustafa Çalışkan, Özgür Çiftçi, Hakan Güllü, Mete Alpaslan
Department of Cardiology, Medicine Faculty of Başkent University, Konya

A 41-year-old man presented with worsening angina. Coronary angiography showed 70% narrowing in the middle segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Selective cannulation of the right coronary artery (RCA) could not be achieved with Judkins right 3.5- and 4.0-cm curve diagnostic catheters. Nonselective injection into the aortic root revealed an anomalous RCA originating from the left sinus of Valsalva and 80% narrowing just proximal to the right ventricle branch. Initial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was directed to the LAD and an adequate angiographic result was achieved. One week later, PCI was performed for the RCA. Cannulation of the RCA was not possible with Judkins curve guiding catheters (right 4 and 5 cm; left 4, 5, and 6 cm). Eventually, selective cannulation was achieved with a 7-F multipurpose Hockey Stick guiding catheter and stent placement was accomplished. The patient had an uneventful recovery. The use of a multipurpose Hockey Stick catheter may be considered when the usual techniques fail to cannulate an anomalous RCA.

Keywords: Angioplasty, transluminal, percutaneous coronary, coronary angiography, coronary vessel anomalies; heart catheterization; sinus of Valsalva; stents.

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