Case reports

‘Missing’ coronary arteries at urgent coronary angiography for ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Zimarino, Marco; Barnabei, Luca; De Caterina, Raffaele

Author Information

Institute of Cardiology and Center of Excellence on Aging, ‘G. d'Annunzio’ University, Chieti, Italy

Received 20 June, 2009

Revised 23 July, 2009

Accepted 8 September, 2009

Correspondence to Marco Zimarino, MD, PhD, Institute of Cardiology and Center of Excellence on Aging, ‘G. d'Annunzio’ University – Chieti, c/o Ospedale SS. Annunziata, Via dei Vestini, 66013 Chieti, Italy Tel: +39 0871 41512; fax: +39 0871 40 2817; e-mail: [email protected]

Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine 11(10):p 754-757, October 2010. | DOI: 10.2459/JCM.0b013e328332e9a5

Abstract

Coronary artery anomalies are a rare and often occasional finding at coronary angiography. When patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergo angiography preliminary to a primary percutaneous coronary intervention, a ‘missing’ coronary artery is usually ascribed to the culprit occluded vessel.

Two patients with inferior STEMI were admitted to our cath lab for a primary percutaneous coronary intervention; in both cases an anomalous origin of the left coronary system – partially in one, entirely in the another – from the opposite sinus was documented at urgent angiography. The knowledge and the identification of coronary artery anomalies have extreme clinical relevance in urgent angiography for STEMI patients.

© 2010 Italian Federation of Cardiology. All rights reserved.

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