| Abstract: | Anomalies in the course and distribution of coronary arteries may complicate the surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TF). With the aim of preventing possible serious, and even lethal, cardiac events caused by the injury of aberrant vessels, 119 patients with TF were subjected to selective coronary angiography. Apart from demonstrating anastomoses between the coronary and bronchial arteries in 31 cases, small fistulas between the coronary arteries and pulmonary artery (in 14 cases) and hypoplasia of the entire coronary tree in 1 case, this investigation revealed anomalies in the origin of coronary branches in 11 cases. In some cases the first septal branch was absent and the diagonal branches were poorly developed. An injury to the coronary system, following the closure of the interventricular septal defect, may possibly explain the onset of a "left anterior hemiblock" after total correction of TF. Selective coronary angiography in small children presents no riskes provided it is correctly performed. In our cases no complications arose. |
