Abstract

Abstract: Splitting right coronary artery is a benign entity but the atherosclerotic changes once occurred the patient presented with acute coronary disease and even death . It is a very rare coronary artery anomaly and discover incidentally during cardiac angiography or autopsy . Here the pathological and clinical scenarios of this anomaly should be taken in account : Arrhythmia , heamodynamic and cardiac surgery procedures. Aim of study: To know the incidence of splitting or double right coronary artery among people in Basra by conventional coronary angiography. Patients and Methods: Prospective study of coronary angiography carried out in Basra cardiac center at Al- Sadder teaching hospital . A sample of 150 patients attended to cardiac center with acute coronary disease . Results : In our study the incidence of double right coronary artery was 3.3% and the mean length of anterior right coronary artery was 81.43 ± 2.22 mm and the caliber of this artery was 2.96 ± 0.76 mm while the mean length of posterior right coronary artery was 105.33 ± 3.36 mm and its caliber was 3.03 ± 0.732 mm. Conclusion : Double right coronary artery is a benign coronary artery anomaly but it may be life threatened if it associated with other congenital heart anomalies , atherosclerosis, arrhythmias or myocardial infarction.