Sudden Cardiac Arrest in A Young Adult Caused by Anomalous Origin of the Left Anterior Descending Artery from the Right Sinus of Valsalva: A Case Report

Coronary Artery Anomalies (CAAs) are rare, with their prevalence ranging from 0.6% to 1.3%.

A 33-year-old man with no previous medical history was referred to the emergency department with Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while playing soccer. Systematic assessment revealed that the SCA was caused by a scarce CAA; the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery arising from the Right Sinus of Valsalva (RSV). There was also Left Ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with an LV ejection fraction of 35%. The patient subsequently underwent single vessel coronary artery bypass grafting of the Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) to LAD as well as cardioverter-defibrillator placement and had no further incidence of SCA.

Comprehensive knowledge of CAAs and the related symptoms shortens the time to correct diagnosis and initiation of proper management and is likely to reduce the frequency of complications.