Anomalous origin of either the right or left main coronary artery from the aorta without coursing of the anomalistically arising artery between aorta and pulmonary trunk.

Clinical and necropsy findings are described in 12 adults (10 men) in whom either the left main coronary artery or the right coronary artery arose abnormally from the aorta and the anomalistically arising artery coursed thereafter either normally or abnormally, but if abnormally not between the pulmonary trunk and ascending aorta. None of the 12 patients had symptoms of myocardial ischemia that unequivocally could be attributed to the anomalously arising coronary artery. One patient, a 19-year-old man, however, died suddenly and no abnormality other than the anomalistically arising right coronary artery from the posterior aortic valve sinus was found.