No abstract available.
Coronary Circulation*

No abstract available.
Coronary Circulation* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Hypersensitivity*

Single anomalous coronary artery is a rare congenital anomaly of the coronary circulation. Right coronary artery (RCA) arising from the left anterior descending artery is an extermely rare variety of single coronary artery. We report a 68-year-old patient with a single coronary artery system, in whom the right coronary artery originated from the mid left anterior descending artery.
Aged ; Arteries* ; Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans

Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Microcirculation ; Myocardial Ischemia

No abstract available.
Coronary Circulation* ; Heart* ; Rats, Inbred SHR*

OBJECTIVES: To study myocardial perfusion and systolic function in patients with different coronary artery stenosis by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) and two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI). METHODS: MCE, 2D-STI and coronary angiography were conducted in patients with coronary heart disease in our hospital. Myocardial segments were divided into 4 groups according to the degree of coronary artery stenosis: group A (normal group), group B (mild stenosis, 50%-75%), group C (moderate stenosis, 76%-90%) and group D (severe stenosis, 91%-100%). Blood volume, blood flow velocity, blood flow and longitudinal myocardial strain value (SL) in each group were measured by analysis software for MCE and 2D-STI. The differences in blood volume, blood flow velocity, blood flow and SL were evaluated. RESULTS: The blood flow velocity and blood flow in B, C and D groups were decreased gradually, with significant difference (<0.05). There was no significant difference in blood volume, blood flow velocity, blood flow between group A and group B (>0.05). There were significant differences in SL among the 4 groups (<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a good correlation between coronary stenosis degree and myocardial perfusion or systolic function. The ability of 2D-STI to detect mild stenosis of coronary artery is better than MCE.
Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Stenosis ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Myocardium ; Systole

Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Microcirculation ; Microvascular Angina

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SCMP) is diagnosed in 1-2% of patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome. Because of sharing many common clinical features with SCMP, acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can be misdiagnosed as SCMP. However, it can be associated with fatal outcome of the patient. Also, diagnosis of SCMP seems to be always challenging to clinicians, especially in the decision of taking coronary angiography which is still invasive and even risky. Here, we present a case with acute STEMI mimicking SCMP as a result of anatomical variation of coronary circulation. In this patient, prompt and early coronary angiography and stent implantation was very helpful.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Cardiomyopathies ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Vessels ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Common anatomical variations exist within the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are equally exposed to systemic risk factors; however, coronary angiography has shown a focal and uneven distribution of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that the nature of coronary arteries, such as the coronary dominance, is one of the local factors able to determine the morphology and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. The relationship between the coronary dominance and the distribution of coronary artery atherosclerosis; however, remains to be investigated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total 264 patients were enrolled for analysis. Using the ACC/AHA definition, the coronary dominance was assessed as either a right dominant, left dominant or balanced dominant artery. The degree of the coronary artery stenosis was obtained using a scoring system. By means of the sum of the numerical values in the three vessels, the total left anterior descending artery (LAD), total left circumflex artery (LCX) and total right coronary artery (RCA) scores were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 264 patients, right, left and balanced dominance was found in 73.5, 16.3 and 10.2%, respectively. The total LAD, LCX and RCA scores were similar in the patients from all three dominance groups (p>0.05). The score for coronary artery disease were shown to be higher in the proximal and mid segments (LAD, p=0.000; LCX, p=0.002; RCA, p=0.041). CONCLUSION: The coronary dominance was not found to relate to the angiographic severity of coronary artery disease. The distribution of coronary disease in the three coronary arteries tended to cluster within the proximal and mid segments of the vessels.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo compare graft patency in off-pump and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting by using the transit time flow meter in the treatment of triple vessel coronary artery disease.

METHODSBetween June 2000 and April 2001, 60 patients with triple vessel coronary artery disease underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. They were divided into two groups: off-pump and conventional coronary artery bypass. All completed grafts were tested intraoperatively using Transit Time Flow Measurement (TTFM). Preoperative and postoperative variables of the two groups were also compared.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in sex, age, weight, acute or remote myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes and type of bypass grafts between the two groups. The number of bypass grafts and the assisted respiratory time of the off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) group were significantly less than those of the conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CCABG) group. The flow and pulsatile index (PI) of the left anterior descending artery bypass grafts and the right coronary artery bypass grafts were not significantly different between the OPCAB and CCABG groups. The flow of OM in the CCABG group with the multiple anastomosis site of sequential grafts was higher than that in the OPCAB group. Diffused narrow coronary artery bypass grafts in both groups had less flow.

CONCLUSIONNo significant differences in graft patency were observed in patients with triple vessel coronary artery disease who had undergone OPCAB or CCABG.

Aged ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; methods ; Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Disease ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged