An intercoronary connection serving as a safety valve for the left ventricle

Intercoronary connection is an infrequent finding during coronary angiography and may serve as a safety valve for compromised coronary circulation. A 60-year-old woman with hyperlipidemia was admitted with stable angina pectoris of one-year history. Physical examination including cardiac auscultation was normal. The electrocardiogram showed no ischemic changes. Transthoracic echocardiography showed no wall motion abnormality and she had normal ejection fraction. Coronary angiography showed total occlusion of the proximal portion of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and severe occlusion of the circumflex artery. Selective right coronary angiography showed no stenosis, with anterograde filling of the right coronary artery (RCA) and retrograde filling of the LAD through the RCA. The totally occluded LAD was in communication with the distal RCA through a large lumen as a single conduit whose diameter was equal to that of the distal LAD. Left ventriculography showed no abnormality. Because of the retrograde filling of the LAD with TIMI III flow, grafting of the LAD was not considered. The patient underwent successful bare metal stent implantation in the circumflex artery and was discharged free of chest pain on medical treatment.