Right coronary artery
Updates to Article Attributes
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The right coronary artery (RCA) is one of the two main coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygenated blood.
Gross anatomy
Origin
It is a branch of the ascending aorta, with its normal origin in the right aortic sinus, just superior to the aortic valve
Course
The RCA courses to the right in the right atrioventricular groove, along the anterior surface to the inferior surface of the heart.
- in people with right dominant circulation (seen in the majority of people), the RCA turns anteriorly at the crus to become the inferior interventricular artery
- in people with left dominant circulation the RCA peters out usually as an acute marginal artery and the inferior interventricular artery usually arises from the left circumflex artery
Branches
- conus artery (in 60%)
- sinoatrial nodal artery (60%)
- acute marginal arteries (designated AM1, 2, etc)
- atrioventicular nodal artery
- terminal branches (in right dominant circulation)
- inferior interventricular artery also known as the posterior descending artery (PDA)
- posterior left ventricular branch (PLV or PLB)
- in left dominant hearts, the RCA usually peters out as an acute marginal branch
Supply
- conus artery: pulmonary outflow tract
- sinus artery: sinoatrial (SA) node
- acute marginal arteries: anterior wall of the right ventricle
- atrioventricular nodal artery: atrioventricular (AV) node
- terminal branches (in right dominant circulation)
- PDA: inferior wall of the right ventricle and the inferior 1/3 of the interventricular septum (the latter defining coronary dominance)
- PLV: inferior wall of the left ventricle
Coronary dominance
Most hearts are right dominant where the PDA is supplied by the RCA. However up to 20% of hearts may be left dominant, where the PDA is supplied by the LAD or LCx or codominant, where a single or duplicated PDA is supplied by branches of both the RCA and LAD/LCx.
For a more in depth discussion of coronary dominance, see the articlecoronary arterial dominance.
Variant anatomy
Variations in origin
- from the aorta at or above the sinotubular junction
- from the left coronary sinus or left coronary artery where the proximal RCA takes a 'malignant' inter-arterial course in which the vessel is prone to extrinsic compression
- in up to 50% of cases there are separate ostia for the RCA and conus artery 2 from the sinus or aorta
Variations in branching
- PDA and PLV as terminal branches
- PDA as the only terminal branch (in which the PLV is supplied by the LCx)
- terminates as an acute marginal branch (in left dominant circulations)
Variations in course
- intra-atrial course (case 1)
- inter-arterial course due to aberrant origin (case 2)
See also
-</ul><h4>Coronary dominance</h4><p>Most hearts are <em>right dominant</em> where the PDA is supplied by the RCA. However up to 20% of hearts may be <em>left dominant</em>, where the PDA is supplied by the LAD or LCx or <em>codominant</em>, where a single or duplicated PDA is supplied by branches of both the RCA and LAD/LCx.</p><p>For a more in depth discussion of coronary dominance, see the article <a href="/articles/peroneus-brevis-1">coronary arterial dominance</a>.</p><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><h5>Variations in origin</h5><ul>- +</ul><h4>Coronary dominance</h4><p>Most hearts are <em>right dominant</em> where the PDA is supplied by the RCA. However up to 20% of hearts may be <em>left dominant</em>, where the PDA is supplied by the LAD or LCx or <em>codominant</em>, where a single or duplicated PDA is supplied by branches of both the RCA and LAD/LCx.</p><p>For a more in depth discussion of coronary dominance, see the article<a href="/articles/coronary-arterial-dominance"> </a><a href="/articles/coronary-arterial-dominance">coronary arterial dominance</a>.</p><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><h5>Variations in origin</h5><ul>
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