Background: Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are sometimes associated with coronary artery anomalies (CAAs). Accurate preoperative evaluation of coronary artery anatomy is essential for successful surgical repair of complex CHD.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of congenital CAAs in patients with complex CHD at dual-source CT.
Methods: Four hundred seventeen consecutive patients with complex CHD underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac CT angiography. The results were retrospectively analyzed, including the types and incidences of CAAs in various forms of complex CHD. Each patient was analyzed independently by 2 experienced cardiovascular radiologists. Image quality of coronary arteries was assessed on a 5-point scale with 2 or less being nondiagnostic.
Results: Thirty-five of 417 studies were nondiagnostic (8.39%). Sixty-three cases of CAA (15.11%) were detected by anomalous ostia and coronary arteries. CAA was involved in 6 of 108 patients with tetralogy of Fallot (5.56%), 18 of 84 patients with double outlet right ventricle (21.43%), 11 of 97 patients with pulmonary artery atresia (11.34%), 7 of 36 patients with transposition of the great arteries (22.22%), 15 of 41 patients with single ventricle (36.59%), 4 of 12 patients with truncus arteriosus/aortopulmonary window (33.33%), and 2 of 39 patients with interruption of the aortic arch/coarctation of the aorta (5.13%). Twenty of these were accompanied with an anomalous coronary course (31.74%).
Conclusion: Patients with complex CHD have a higher prevalence of CAAs, which should be considered before surgery. Dual-source CT is an effective technique to visualize and evaluate complex CHD.
Keywords: Cardiac CT; Complex congenital heart disease; Coronary artery anomalies; Dual-source CT.
Copyright © 2013 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.