What are the two main coronary arteries that supply the heart?

The heart is supplied by the right coronary artery (RCA) and the left coronary artery (LCA). Both arise from the ascending aorta just above the aortic valve.

What is the course and main branches of the right coronary artery?

The RCA runs in the right atrioventricular groove and gives off branches including the conus artery (supplies infundibulum), anterior ventricular branches (including right marginal artery), and the posterior interventricular artery (supplies posterior septum and ventricles, and in 60% of cases, the AV node).

What are the two main branches of the left coronary artery and what do they supply?

The LCA divides into the anterior interventricular artery (LAD), which supplies the anterior septum, most of the left ventricle, part of the right ventricle, and the left bundle branch, and the circumflex artery, which winds around the left margin and gives the left marginal artery to the left ventricle.

What is coronary dominance and which type is most common?

Coronary dominance refers to which artery gives rise to the posterior interventricular artery. Right coronary dominance (from the RCA) occurs in about 90% of cases, while left coronary dominance (from the circumflex artery) occurs in about 10%.

What is the most common site for a myocardial infarction (heart attack)?

The anterior interventricular artery (LAD) is the most common site for a myocardial infarction, accounting for 40–50% of cases, as it supplies a large portion of the left ventricle.

How do coronary arteries behave functionally despite their anatomy?

Anatomically, coronary arteries are not end-arteries (they have anastomoses), but they functionally behave as end-arteries. Sudden blockage can cause ischemia, while gradual occlusion allows collateral circulation to develop.

What clinical procedures are used to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease?

Common procedures include coronary angiography (visualizes blockages), coronary angioplasty (dilates narrowed arteries, often with stents), and coronary bypass surgery (uses grafts to reroute blood around obstructions).

Coronary Arteries – Heart Arterial Supply & Branches

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