Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery From the Pulmonary Artery Confirmed by 320-Slice Computed Tomography

Anomalous origin the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is an extremely rare congenital coronary abnormality that may be difficult to diagnose by echocardiography. Most patients present with a potentially fatal illness leading to sudden cardiac death during infancy. This report describes a 15-year-old girl who had 15-year history of cardiac murmur but with no clinical symptoms. Echocardiographic examination was normal, but a 320-slice computed tomographic (CT) scan showed the anomalous origin of the left coronary artery form the pulmonary artery. This case demonstrates that the 320-slice CT scan is a sensitive and reliable technique for establishing the diagnosis of ALCAPA in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients when it cannot be visualized by echocardiography.