Dissection of arteria lusoria by transradial coronary catheterization: a rare complication evaluated by multidetector CT.

ABSTRACT

An aberrant right subclavian artery (arteria lusoria) arising from the descending thoracic aorta is an uncommon congenital variant that occurs in about 0.2-1.7% of the population. In such cases, the angular course of the arteria lusoria to the ascending aorta imposes difficulty in passing a guide wire to the ascending aorta during right transradial catheterization. Here, we present the first report of an iatrogenic dissection of arteria lusoria during transradial coronary angiography evaluated by multidetector computed tomography. Computed tomography is useful for assessing the severity and extension of the dissection to guide the clinical management of this complication.