Utility and importance of new echocardiographic screening methods in diagnosis of anomalous coronary origins in the pediatric population: Assessment of quality improvement

Anomalous aortic origin of coronaries from the contralateral sinus (AAOCA) is rare but an important cause of cardiac death in the otherwise healthy young athlete. This necessitates prompt, accurate identification; transtho-racic echocardiography (TTE) remains the primary screening tool. Assessment of accuracy is difficult since the true prevalence of the disease is unknown, with estimates at 0.3–1.07%. The incidence by TTE remains much lower, between 0.09 and 0.17% even with sophisticated equipment and a high index of suspicion. Our goal was to incorporate two new screening views to our standard TTE protocol and assess improvement in diagnosis of AAOCA by TTE in our laboratory. Recently (2011), we incorporated two new screening methods to standard protocol. The parasternal short axis sweep is extended to visualize the anomalous segment arising superiorly from the ascending aorta before exiting the root at a site close to a ‘normal’ origin. Secondly, the anomalous, interarterial coronary demonstrates an anterior, steep-angled course visualized in the parasternal long axis between the aorta and pulmonary artery. The echocardiogram database was searched for patients newly diagnosed with AAOCA in 2010 (prior to incorporation of new methods) and 2012. AAOCA incidence in our patient population improved from 0.02% (2010) to 0.22% (2012), age range from 4 days to 17 years. Teenagers and symptomatic patients with anomalous right coronary origin (6) underwent additional confirmatory imaging, and three underwent surgery. One patient with anomalous left coronary origin underwent surgical repair. Addition of the screening views can significantly increase the sensitivity of TTE in diagnosing AAOCA in the asymptomatic patients. We propose that these views be incorporated into the standard TTE evaluation of coronary arteries.