Case report: echocardiographic detection of rare single coronary artery anomaly in a child with an atrial septal defect

A single right coronary artery (RCA) with the left anterior descending (LAD) and circumflex coronary arteries located in the usual anatomic position and supplied by collaterals is the rarest variant of single RCA.

We report a paediatric patient with an incidental finding of single RCA Lipton type RI pattern during assessment for transcatheter device closure of an ostium secundum atrial septal defect (secASD). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed a dilated RCA, abnormal flow in the LAD, and no identifiable left main coronary artery. Diagnosis of a single RCA was confirmed with angiography. Dobutamine stress echocardiography revealed no inducible ischaemia. Transcatheter device closure of the secASD was subsequently successfully performed.

TTE in paediatric patients can raise suspicion of coronary artery origin anomalies. Additional modalities, such as computed tomography and angiography, are required to comprehensively determine coronary artery anatomy. Functional assessment of ventricular function is also indicated. Coronary artery anatomy is important to delineate prior to transcatheter device closure of a secASD and should be part of the pre-procedure assessment.