Anomalous Aortic Origin of Coronary Arteries in Children: Postoperative High-risk Anatomic Features

Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery in Pediatric Patients

Purpose of Review

We present a contemporary approach to risk assessment and management of patients with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA).

Recent Findings

Anomalous left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus (L-AAOCA) with interarterial course carries a high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD); therefore, current guidelines recommend exercise restriction and surgical intervention. Recent data in intraseptal and juxtacommissural L-AAOCA showed inducible perfusion abnormalities, leading to consideration of surgical intervention. Anomalous right coronary artery from the left aortic sinus (R-AAOCA) carries a much lower risk and stress perfusion imaging is helpful in identifying patients with inducible ischemia. Perfusion abnormalities resolve following successful surgical intervention of AAOCA. Computational modeling techniques identifying risk features shows promise in the evaluation of AAOCA.

Summary

Stress perfusion imaging is helpful in assessing AAOCA upon presentation and following surgical intervention. Computational modeling has potential in bridging knowledge gaps in AAOCA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40124-024-00317-7.

Trends in surgical management of anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery over 2 decades

Objective

To evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery (AAOCA) at a tertiary care center and determine the influences of a coronary artery program on management strategies and outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective review of consecutive surgical patients who had isolated AAOCA at a tertiary care center between August 1, 1999, and October 31, 2022, compared patient characteristics, interventional timing, and surgical strategies before and after program inception in 2018. Comparisons between time periods and anatomical subgroups were performed using Fisher exact and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.

Results

Of 149 surgical AAOCA patients, 102 (69%) had AAO of the right coronary artery. Compared with AAO of the left coronary artery (AAOLCA), AAO of the right coronary artery (AAORCA) was associated with greater athletic participation (intramural, varsity, and college-level) (74% vs 43%; P < .001) and preoperative functional imaging (72% vs 49%; P = .01), but were less likely to have ischemic changes on functional imaging (5% vs 23%; P = .03) or any postoperative complications (7% vs 19%; P = .04). Moderate or greater aortic insufficiency occurred postoperatively in 1 (1%) of AAORCA and 1 (3%) of AAOLCA patients. After the coronary artery program inception, there was an increase among patients with AAOCA undergoing preoperative computed tomography angiography (pre-2018: 39 out of 98 [40%] vs post-2018: 48 out of 51 [94%]; P < .001) and a decrease in isolated AAOCA unroofing procedures performed (30 [31%] vs 5 [10%]; P = .004).

Conclusions

Surgical management of AAOCA evolved over time, and can be achieved with low instance of postoperative aortic insufficiency. Establishment of a coronary artery program has streamlined care.

Clinical analysis of sixty-nine children with anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery

We aimed to analyse the clinical characteristics of children with different types of anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery (AAOCA) at different ages, and to discuss the factors related to myocardial ischaemia. In this retrospective study, we included 69 children diagnosed with AAOCA using CT coronary angiography; we classified the participants based on the type of AAOCA, age, and high-risk anatomy. The clinical characteristics of the different AAOCA types and age groups were compared, and the correlation between manifestations and high-risk anatomy was analysed. Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right coronary artery sinus, anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left coronary artery sinus, and a coronary artery origin without coronary sinuses was found in 10 (14.5%), 57 (82.6%), 2 (2.9%) patients, respectively. There were no significant differences in sex, clinical manifestations, percentage of positive myocardial injury markers, electrocardiogram, transthoracic echocardiography, or proportion of high-risk anatomy among the groups with different AAOCA types. According to age group, the proportion of asymptomatic infants and pre-schoolers was the highest (p < 0.001). Forty-three patients (62.3%) had high-risk anatomy and were more likely to present with severe symptoms and cardiac syncope (p < 0.05).   Conclusion: There were no significant differences in the proportions of high-risk anatomy and clinical characteristics among children with different AAOCA types. We found a relation between the severity of AAOCA clinical symptoms and anatomical risk. What is Known: • Clinical symptoms in children with AAOCA are varied and the results of routine cardiological examinations lack specificity. • High-risk anatomical features, exercise, cardiac symptoms, and ALCA are risk factors for the occurrence of SCD in patients with AAOCA. What is New: • Compared the clinical characteristics of different types of AAOCA and ages. • Analysed the correlation between symptoms and high-risk anatomical features.

Ischemia in Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Right Coronary Artery: Large Pediatric Cohort Medium-Term Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Anomalous aortic origin of a right coronary artery may cause myocardial ischemia and sudden death in the young. Data on myocardial ischemia or longitudinal outcomes are sparse in pediatric anomalous aortic origin of a right coronary artery population.

METHODS

Patients <21 years with anomalous aortic origin of a right coronary artery were prospectively enrolled. Computerized tomography angiography defined morphology. Exercise stress test and stress perfusion imaging (sPI) were performed if >7 years or younger with concern for ischemia. High-risk features included intramural length, slit-like/hypoplastic ostium, exertional symptoms, or evidence of ischemia.

RESULTS

A total of 220 patients (60% males) were enrolled December 2012 to April 2020 at a median age 11.4 years (interquartile range, 6.1-14.5), including 168 (76%) with no/nonexertional symptoms (group 1) and 52 (24%) with exertional chest pain/syncope (group 2). Computerized tomography angiography was available in 189/220 (86%), exercise stress test in 164/220 (75%), and sPI in 169/220 (77%). Exercise stress test was positive in 2/164 (1.2%) patients in group 1, both had positive sPI. Inducible ischemia (sPI) was detected in 11/120 (9%) in group 1 and 9/49 (18%) in group 2 (P=0.09). Intramural length was similar in patients with/without ischemia (5 [interquartile range, 4-7] versus 5 [interquartile range, 4-7] mm; P=0.65). Surgery was recommended in 56/220 (26%) patients with high-risk features. In 52 surgical patients (38 unroofing, 14 reimplantation), all subjects were alive and have returned to exercise at last median follow-up of 4.6 (interquartile range, 2.3-6.5) years.

CONCLUSIONS

Anomalous aortic origin of a right coronary artery patients can present with inducible ischemia on sPI despite symptoms or intramural length. Exercise stress test is a poor predictor of ischemia and caution should be given to determine low-risk based solely on this assessment. All patients are alive at medium-term follow-up.