Occlusion of left coronary artery ostium by an aortic valve cusp

Occlusion of the os of the left coronary artery by dysplastic aortic valve tissue presenting as progressive mitral insufficiency and cardiac arrest

Mitral regurgitation in the neonatal period is relatively rare. It can be secondary to a congenital malformation of the valve apparatus or mitral valve dysfunction and deformation secondary to myocardial dysfunction or volume load of the left ventricle. Less commonly, it can be due to coronary artery abnormalities leading to mitral valve papillary muscle ischaemia and subsequent dysfunction. Such coronary artery abnormalities include anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery, left main coronary artery atresia, or a thromboembolic phenomenon. In this study, we describe a newborn with a dysplastic aortic valve causing obstruction of the os of the left coronary artery leading to progressive mitral insufficiency.

Attached right aortic valve leaflet causing ischemia and severe regurgitation: Successful repair with Ozaki technique

INTRODUCTION

Coronary artery occlusion due to fusion of a leaflet to the sinotubular junction is a rare finding that we should consider in the differential diagnosis of young patients who have aortic regurgitation and angina.

PATIENT AND METHOD

We present a young female with severe aortic regurgitation due to right coronary fusion who underwent mini-invasive aortic valve reconstruction.

RESULTS

Postoperative evolution was satisfactory. The patient was discharged on the 5th postoperative day and after 3.5 years of follow-up he remains in functional class I, without anticoagulant treatment and with mild aortic regurgitation.

COCNCLUSION

The Ozaki technique can be used in patients with aortic regurgitation due to single leaflet dysfunction.

Left Coronary Cusp with Fenestration Adherent to the Aortic Wall

An aortic valve with a coronary cusp adherent to the aortic wall is a rare anomaly. Furthermore, an adherent coronary cusp with fenestration is even rarer. Here, we report a case of aortic valve regurgitation with an adherent and fenestrated left coronary cusp. A 45-year-old man with complaints of dyspnea on exertion was hospitalized. Clinical examination revealed severe aortic valve regurgitation associated with poor cardiac function. He had a history of cardiac murmur present since childhood; however, the details of his cardiac history are unknown. During surgery, a fenestrated left coronary cusp adherent to the aortic wall was observed. Following resection of all aortic cusps, we performed an aortic valve replacement with a mechanical valve. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. In this case, the left coronary artery was perfused by a small fenestration in the adherent coronary cusp. In such cases, the adherent coronary cusp should be released to alleviate the possibility of sudden death and ischemic myocarditis.

Congenitally Abnormal Aortic Valve Causing Coronary Obstruction and Cardiac Arrest in Infancy

Many instances of coronary artery anomalies are documented in the literature; however, the detection and treatment of an asymmetric, large aortic cusp causing obstruction of a coronary ostium in a symptomatic infant remains unreported. We present a case of a 2-month-old infant with an enlarged right coronary cusp obstructing the left coronary ostium, requiring emergent repair by relocating the left coronary button and reconstructing the sinus of Valsalva with autologous pericardium. This procedure preserved native aortic valve function, and the child remains asymptomatic months after discharge.

Imaging of congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries

Congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries are extremely variable and include anomalies of their origin (atresia, anomalies of origin from the aorta or from the pulmonary artery), the course of the epicardiac coronary branches (intramural, myocardial bridge) and distal connections (coronary-cardiac chamber fistulae). In pediatric practice, the diagnosis relies on ultrasound which should be supplemented by additional cardiac imaging in most cases. Multidetector CT is the most widely used imaging technique to identify abnormal courses and relationships with the greater vessels. In this paper, the important diagnostic and prognostic features in the interpretation of coronary imaging in pediatric practice is discussed.

Occlusion of the left main coronary artery os by a tethered aortic valve cusp

We report a 4-month-old girl who presented with poor ventricular function and was found to have occlusion of the left main coronary artery os by a tethered aortic cusp. The patient underwent surgical delamination of the aortic valve leaflet, revealing a normal left coronary os. After operative repair, her left ventricular function improved significantly. This diagnosis should be included in the differential in all children presenting with cardiac dysfunction.

Occlusion of left coronary artery ostium by left coronary cusp fusion

We report two cases of adults who had occlusion of the left coronary artery ostium by the left coronary cusp. Both patients were treated with the Bentall procedure, and both revealed a good, long-term course. We offer proper strategy of perioperative management consisting of precise preoperative diagnosis with a multimodality imaging study and adequate operative technique.

Occlusion of left coronary ostium with a rudimentary aortic cusp

A 74-year-old woman with exertional angina was diagnosed with occlusion of the left coronary ostium associated with a rudimentary aortic valve cusp. A transesophageal echocardiogram, a multi-detector computed tomographic scan, and a coronary angiographic scan revealed the rudimentary aortic cusp covering the small left coronary aortic sinus leading to occlusion of the ostium of the left coronary artery, despite the intact coronary arteries. After excision of the rudimentary left coronary cusp, the left coronary ostium appeared intact. An aortic valve replacement with annular enlargement using a bioprosthetic valve was performed. The patient uneventfully recovered without angina.

Repair of left coronary artery ostial isolation caused by aortic valve leaflet

A 13-year-old girl had recurrent syncope episodes and chest oppression during exercise caused by myocardial ischemia that was confirmed by stress myocardial scintigraphy. Echocardiography revealed mild aortic regurgitation (AR). Cineangiography revealed persistent opacification of the left coronary sinus. Freeing of the adherent left coronary cusp from the aortic wall increased antegrade left coronary flow and commissural resuspension restored AR. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and myocardial ischemia did not develop after surgery. Hence, although left coronary artery ostial isolation by aortic valve leaflet is rare, it can be successfully treated by aortic valve repair.

Sudden death from acute thromboembolic occlusion of the left coronary ostium

The patient was a 55-year-old woman who experienced anterior chest pain after drinking a cup of coffee. The patient had no risk factor for cardiac disease other than mild non- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The patient did have a history of asthma and was on a steroid taper, taking 20 mg of prednisone daily. The patient's physical examination results were within normal limits. Her laboratory data were normal, except for a glucose level of 499 mg/dl and a urinalysis revealing more than 4+ glucose with large ketones. Venous blood gas pH was 7.36, and troponin I, creatinine kinase-MB, electrocardiogram, and chest film were normal. The patient was admitted to rule out acute coronary syndrome. During the placement into an inpatient bed, the patient sustained a cardiac arrest with a narrow complex ventricular rhythm without pulse, from which she could not be resuscitated. The postmortem examination of the lungs revealed no evidence of thromboemboli. The coronary arteries revealed mild atherosclerosis. Examination of the aortic root revealed complete occlusion of the left coronary ostium by a large premortem nonorganized fresh thromboembolus, which was easily removed by passing a probe retrograde from the left main coronary artery (Fig. 1). Microscopically, there were also small thromboemboli in both the distal right and left coronary intramyocardial vessels. An extensive search of the heart and all major vessels was undertaken to identify the source of the possible thromboemboli, and none could be identified. A Medline search of the literature revealed no other similar case.

Origins of the coronary arteries and their significance

OBJECTIVE

To describe the normal and variant anatomy of the coronary artery ostia in Indian subjects.

INTRODUCTION

Anomalous coronary origins may cause potentially dangerous symptoms, and even sudden death during strenuous activity. A cadaveric study in an unsuspected population provides a basis for understanding the normal variants, which may facilitate determination of the prevalence of anomalies and evaluation of the value of screening for such anomalies.

METHODS

One hundred and five heart specimens were dissected. The number of ostia and their positions within the respective sinuses were observed. Vertical and circumferential deviations of the ostia were observed. The heights of the cusps and the ostia from the bottom of the sinus were measured.

RESULTS

No openings were present in the pulmonary artery or the non-coronary sinus. The number of openings in the aortic sinuses varied from 2-5 in the present series; multiple ostia were mostly seen in the anterior sinus. The majority of the ostia lay below the sinutubular ridge (89%) and at or above the level of the upper margin of the cusps (84%). Left ostial openings were mainly centrally located (80%), whereas the right coronary ostia were often shifted towards the right posterior aortic sinus (59%).

DISCUSSION

The preferential location of the ostia was within the sinus and above the cusps, but below the sinutubular ridge. On occasion, normal variants like multiple ostia, vertical or circumferential shift in the position, and slit-like ostia may create confusion in interpreting the images and pose a difficulty during procedures like angiography, angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Dysplastic aortic cusp presenting with myocardial ischemia: diagnostic value of transesophageal echocardiography

Dysplastic aortic cusp causing myocardial ischemia is a rare entity. We report a case and review 16 previously reported cases, and we discuss the limitation of different cardiac imaging modality in defining this abnormality.

Aortic regurgitation with dilation of ascending aorta and right coronary artery occlusion by a rudimentary aortic cusp

Occlusion of a coronary artery ostium, especially that of the right by an aortic cusp, is a rare congenital anomaly. We had the experience of dealing with an adult patient with aortic regurgitation due to a rudimentary aortic cusp that also occluded the right coronary ostium. We performed composite graft replacement because the patient also had coexistent dilation of the ascending aorta. Postoperative course was uneventful.