Unrecognized Inter-Coronary Communication in a Case of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Discoveries (Craiova). 2024 Sep 30;12(3):e191. doi: 10.15190/d.2024.10. eCollection 2024 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Inter-coronary communication is a rare congenital anomaly, defined as a connection between two patent coronary arteries, and was first described in 1972. We report the case of a 61-year-old Emirati female who presented to the emergency department with chest pain and palpitations, along with a strong family history of cardiac disease. She was initially diagnosed with indolent hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and accordingly managed; however, the patient remained symptomatic. Further investigations revealed inter-coronary communication between her left circumflex (LCX) and left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries. This case highlights the importance of recognizing inter-coronary communications for better outcomes in patients with HOCM, as well as their potential clinical significance with the need for further studies to be done to pinpoint the true significance.

Keywords: Intercoronary communication; coronary artery anomaly; hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.