Cardiovascular Diseases & Diagnosis

Obtuse Marginal Artery as the Final Branch of a Long Right Coronary Artery: A Rare Case of a Coronary Artery Anatomic Variant or Anomaly

Abstract

Papagiannis N, Stavrianakis D and Moschos N

The three primary or ‘elementary’ coronary arteries and their branches perfuse the heart and originate from the sinuses of Valsalva. Generally, the right coronary artery (RCA) originates from the upper or middle third of the right anterior sinus of Valsalva. It gives rise to the conus branch, one or more acute marginal branches, and if we are talking about right dominant circulation forms the AV nodal artery, the posterior descending artery (PDA) and posterolateral branches. In turn, the left coronary artery originates above the upper or middle third in the left anterior sinus of Valsalva. The left anterior descending artery gives rise to septal branches that curve down into the interventricular septum and diagonal branches that wrap over the anterolateral free wall of the left ventricle. The circumflex artery (LCX) courses clockwise in the AV groove as it gives rise to one or more obtuse marginal branches.