PURPOSE: When performing coronary angiography (CAG), diagnostic catheter intubation to the ostium can cause damping of the pressure tracing. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of atherosclerotic ostial stenosis in patients showing pressure damping during CAG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 2926 patients who underwent diagnostic CAG were screened in this study. Pressure damping was defined as an abrupt decline of the coronary blood pressure with a blunted pulse pressure after engagement of the diagnostic catheter. According to CAG and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), we divided damped ostia into two groups: atherosclerotic ostial lesion group (true lesion group) and non-atherosclerotic ostium group (false lesion group). Clinical and angiographic characteristics were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall incidence of pressure damping was 2.3% (68 patients and 76 ostia). Among the pressure damped ostia, 40.8% (31 of 76 ostia) were true atherosclerotic ostial lesions (true lesion group). The true lesion group had more frequent left main ostial damping and more percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed on non-ostial lesions, compared to the false lesion group. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, left main ostial damping [hazard ratio (HR) 4.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-13.67, p=0.021] and PCI on non-ostial lesion (HR 5.34, 95% CI 1.34-21.27, p=0.018) emerged as independent predictors for true atherosclerotic ostial lesions in patients with pressure damping. CONCLUSION: Left main ostial damping and the presence of a non-ostial atherosclerotic lesion may suggest a significant true atherosclerotic lesion in the coronary ostium.
Aged ; *Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease/etiology/*radiography ; Coronary Occlusion/diagnosis/*therapy ; Coronary Stenosis/etiology/*radiography ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/radiography ; Coronary Vessels/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects/methods ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Radiography, Interventional

Coronary artery problems in children usually have a significant impact on both short-term and long-term outcomes. Early and accurate diagnosis, therefore, is crucial but technically challenging due to the small size of the coronary artery, high heart rates, and limited cooperation of children. Coronary artery visibility on CT and MRI in children is considerably improved with recent technical advancements. Consequently, CT and MRI are increasingly used for evaluating various congenital and acquired coronary artery abnormalities in children, such as coronary artery anomalies, aberrant coronary artery anatomy specific to congenital heart disease, Kawasaki disease, Williams syndrome, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coronary Angiography/*methods ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*radiography ; Coronary Vessels/*radiography ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Echocardiography/methods ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital/radiography ; Heart Diseases/diagnosis/*radiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography/*methods ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods

No abstract available.
*Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Sinoatrial Node/*radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Radiography

No abstract available.
Aged ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/radiography/*ultrasonography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; Vascular Diseases/*congenital/radiography/ultrasonography

CT scans in four cases of chronic superior vena cava or left brachiocephalic vein obstruction demonstrate a systemic-to-cardiac collateral venous pathway through anastomoses between the pericardial branches of systemic veins and the presumed adventitial veins of the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. These adventitial veins then drain into tributaries of the anterior cardiac veins or ventricular coronary veins.
Aged ; Brachiocephalic Veins/*abnormalities/*radiography ; Collateral Circulation ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome/*radiography ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, on a retrospective basis, the anatomic characteristics of the arterial supply to the sinoatrial node (SAN) in the Korean population using an ECG-gated multi-detector CT (MDCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The electrocardiographic-gated MDCTs of 500 patients (258 men and 242 women; age range, 17-83 years; mean age, 58.6 +/- 12.04 years) were analyzed retrospectively. In each case, the SAN artery (arteries) was named according to a special nomenclature with regard to origin, course, and termination. RESULTS: A total of 516 SAN arteries were visualized in 496 patients. The SAN was supplied by a single artery in 476 (96.4%) cases and by 2 arteries in 18 (3.6%) cases. The SAN originated from the right coronary artery in 265 (53.4%) cases and from the left circumflex in 213 (43%) cases. CONCLUSION: This study can provide basic data on variations of the SAN artery in the Korean population.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Sinoatrial Node/*radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

PURPOSE: Four pediatric patients with congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula (CAVF) were reported to remind pediatric practitioners and cardiologists of its diagnosis and management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four pediatric patients with congenital CAVF from June 1999 to November 2007 were included in this retrospective study. Study modalities included reviews of patients' profiles of clinical features, chest radiograph, Doppler echocardiography, cardiac catheterization with angiography, myocardial perfusion scan, and computed tomography. RESULTS: All 4 patients were symptomatic. The clinical symptoms and signs were feeding problem, continuous murmur, tachycardia, tachypnea, cardiomegaly, and exertional chest pain. Myocardial enzyme was elevated in 1 patient. Echocardiography showed dilatation of the coronary artery in all 4 patients, and traced down its origin in 3 and drainage in 4. The fistulas originated from the right coronary artery in 2 patients and left coronary artery in 2, and were drained into the right ventricle in 2, right atrium in 1, and pulmonary artery in 1. Single left coronary artery was found in 1 patient. The pulmonary-to-systemic blood flow ratios ranged from 1.2 to 2.5. Transcatheter coil occlusion was successfully performed in 4 patients through a coaxial delivery system. The symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure and myocardial ischemia disappeared after the procedure. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of congenital CAVF could be achieved by appreciation of continuous murmur over area unusual for the ductus, and by scrupulous examination of echocardiography as well as angiography of the coronary artery through which coaxial transcatheter coil occlusion could be performed successfully.
*Arteriovenous Fistula/complications/radiography/therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Circulation ; *Coronary Vessel Anomalies/complications/radiography/therapy ; *Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; *Heart Failure/etiology/radiography/therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; *Myocardial Ischemia/etiology/radiography/therapy

Coronary anomalies are rare angiographic findings. Moreover, there are few reports of cases of an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva and of the left coronary artery from the posterior sinus of Valsalva. Here, we report a case with an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the ascending aorta above the left sinus of Valsalva and the left coronary artery from the posterior sinus of Valsalva. This was observed in a patient who was treated for a myocardial infarction of the inferior wall caused by a thrombus in the proximal right coronary artery. The patient was treated successfully with the implantation of a stent in the anomalous origin of the right coronary artery using a 6Fr Amplatz left 1 catheter.
Angioplasty, Transluminal, Percutaneous Coronary ; Aorta/*abnormalities ; Aortography ; *Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*radiography/therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/*radiography/therapy ; Sinus of Valsalva/*abnormalities/radiography ; Stents ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A coronary arteriovenous (AV) fistula consists of a communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber, a great artery or the vena cava. It is the most common anomaly that can affect coronary perfusion. Yet bilateral involvement of a coronary fistula, constitutes an uncommon subgroup of coronary AV fistulas. We herein report on a case of bilateral coronary AV fistula that was coexistent with variant angina originating from the distal right ventricular branch of the right coronary artery and the distal septal branch of the left anterior descending artery, and the latter drained into the right ventricle.
Angina Pectoris, Variant/*etiology/radiography ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*complications/*diagnosis ; Female ; Heart Ventricles/*abnormalities ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Vascular Fistula/complications/*congenital/*diagnosis