Exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in a case of anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery from the noncoronary sinus of valsalva.

ABSTRACT

We report a case of anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery (LCA) from the noncoronary sinus of valsalva (LCANCS) in a young healthy patient who presented with syncope and cardiopulmonary arrest during exercise. The enhanced computed tomography showed acute angle take-off (AAT) of LCA, and the exercise stress thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy demonstrated a large defect at the LCA perfusion region. We propose that the coexistence of AAT and resulting ischemia causes sudden cardiac death during exercise in the patients with LCANCS.