Variations in Origin and Course of the Right and Left Coronary Arteries in Autopsied Hearts at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Coronary arteries play an important role in perfusion of the heart tissues. Variations or anomalies in coronary arteries may be asymptomatic while some can be symptomatic and even cause sudden death. Knowledge of coronary artery variations is important in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Aim: To describe coronary artery anomalies and their incidence in autopsy cases. Materials and Methods: We dissected and grossly examined a total of 127 human hearts during autopsy to describe coronary artery variations in origin and course. Results: The incidence of coronary artery anomalies was found to be 4.72% (6/127; 1 female and 5 males). Among the coronary artery anomalies were: Absent left main coronary artery (LMCA) in 0.8% (1/127), origin of both the left and right coronary arteries from a common ostium located in the left aortic sinus in 0.8% (1/127), origin of both the left and right coronary arteries from a common trunk whose ostium was located in the right aortic sinus in 0.8% (1/127), origin of both the left and right coronary arteries from a common ostium located in the tubular part of the ascending aorta just above the right aortic sinus (RAS) in 0.8% (1/127), origin of the left coronary artery from a separate ostium in the RAS in 0.8% (1/127), origin of the right coronary artery from the sinutubular junction of the LAS in 0.8% (1/127) of the hearts. Conclusion: The incidence of coronary artery anomalies in autopsied hearts was found to be 4.72%. Knowledge of the normal and variant anatomy of coronary arteries is indispensable and imperative both in diagnosis, treatment and implementation of interventional measures