Recurrent coronary artery thrombosis after anomalous right coronary artery re-implantation to the aorta

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the pulmonary artery is a rare entity. The current recommendation is corrective operation even in asymptomatic patients when this cardiac malformation is found. We report a case of a 21-year-old male who initially presented with ST elevations. After surgical repair with re-implantation of the RCA to the aorta, he was found to have an acute thrombus in his left circumflex and several months later developed a thrombus in the proximal left anterior descending artery. We propose that the change from a hyperkinetic high flow state to a slow flow state in the setting of inadequate coronary flow reserve and endothelial function predisposed our patient to thrombus formation in the persistently dilated coronary arteries. It is expected that restoration of normal flow pattern in all coronary arteries will result in normalization of perfusion, decrease in feeding artery size, and return of endothelial function. Because this anomaly is rare, limited information exists on the effects of the procedure on myocardial perfusion. These findings raise the question of whether re-implantation of the anomalous artery is truly the superior approach. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.