Rashmi Rekha Bordoloi1
BACKGROUND
Coronary arteries supply oxygen rich blood to entire heart muscle. They divide and their branches encircle the heart to cover its surface with a lacy network resembling a crown. The artery supplying the Posterior Descending artery (PDA) determines the coronary dominance. A right dominant coronary circulation is one in which the PDA is a terminal branch of Right Coronary Artery (RCA) and in left dominance, PDA arises from left coronary artery. Left dominant hearts are at an increased risk of coronary heart diseases. Therefore, the present study aims at studying the coronary dominance in hearts obtained from adult and perinatal cadavers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
50 human cadaveric hearts were collected and meticulously dissected. All the results were noted and photographs taken. This study was carried out in the Department of Anatomy of Tezpur Medical College, Sonitpur, Assam, on 50 heart specimens. Out of 50 hearts, 20 hearts were from perinatal cadavers that is between 28th weeks of gestation to 7 days after birth and the remaining 30 hearts were from adult cadavers. Out of the total hearts, 31 hearts were male and 19 hearts were female. The perinatal heart specimens were collected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The adult hearts were collected from the cadavers received in the Department of Anatomy and also from the unclaimed bodies received in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Tezpur Medical College and Hospital.
RESULTS
Right dominance was noted in 76% of hearts, left dominance was noted in 20% hearts and 4% of hearts revealed balanced dominance. Right dominance was found more common than left dominance in both male and female. Percentage of left dominance was noted more in males than females. The results of the present study were compared with similar previous studies and discussed.
CONCLUSIONS
The knowledge of right or left coronary dominance is important from the point of view that left coronary artery dominant people are more susceptible for coronary heart disease. Therefore, preoperative information about coronary arterial anatomy and dominance will be helpful for the cardiothoracic surgeons in planning necessary surgical techniques to reduce coronary diseases.
