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Echocardiography and Coronary CT Angiography Imaging of Variations in Coronary Anatomy and Coronary Abnormalities in Athletic Children: Detection of Coronary Abnormalities that Create a Risk for Sudden Death
Author(s) -
Attili Anil,
Hensley Allison K.,
Jones Fredrick D.,
Grabham Jason,
DiSessa Thomas G.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
echocardiography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1540-8175
pISSN - 0742-2822
DOI - 10.1111/echo.12030
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , sudden death , sudden cardiac death , coronary artery disease , hypertrophic cardiomyopathy , coronary arteries , myocardial bridge , population , coronary atherosclerosis , artery , radiology , coronary angiography , myocardial infarction , environmental health
In a recent publication, Maron et al. reported the causes of sudden death in athletes from data collected in the US N ational R egistry of S udden D eath in A thletes at the M inneapolis H eart I nstitute R egistry. It is not surprising that in this study, cardiovascular disease is reported as the most common cause of sudden death in athletes (56%). The most frequently encountered cardiac pathology was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (36% of the population who died of cardiac disease). Coronary artery anomalies of wrong sinus origin were next in frequency (17%). Less common causes attributed to coronary pathology were K awasaki disease, origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, and myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending artery. Echocardiographic imaging along with color and pulsed‐wave D oppler has been widely employed to visualize the anatomy and function of the heart and proves to be a valuable instrument in the identification of coronary artery abnormalities. Moreover, coronary CT angiography provides additional confirmatory information. This article will discuss the scope, importance, and implications of echocardiographic and coronary CT angiography imaging of the major coronary anomalies and abnormalities in young athletes who are at risk of sudden death and who otherwise have a structurally normal heart.