TITLE:
Morphological Variation and Dimensions of the Left Coronary Artery: A Cadaveric Study
AUTHORS:
Abdoulaye Kanté, Tata Touré, Mamadou Diakité, Mamadou Simpara, Demba Yatera, Mamadou Almamy Keita, Sadio Yena, Nouhoum Ongoïba
KEYWORDS:
Left Coronary Artery, Variation, Branching Pattern, Left Anterior Descending Artery, Circumflex Artery
JOURNAL NAME:
Forensic Medicine and Anatomy Research,
Vol.14 No.3,
June
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Coronary arteries play an important role in cardiac tissue perfusion. Variations or abnormalities of the coronary arteries can be asymptomatic, while some can be symptomatic and even lead to sudden death. Knowledge of coronary artery variations is important for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Purpose: To describe variations of the left coronary artery. Materials and Methods: We dissected and macroscopically examined 31 human hearts to describe variations in the origin and course of the left coronary artery. Results: The mean external diameters of the left coronary artery trunk, left anterior descending artery, and circumflex artery were 4.34 ± 2.01 mm, 4.1 ± 0.2 mm, and 3.8 ± 0.3 mm, respectively. The mean length of the left coronary artery trunk was 15 ± 1 mm, with a range of 9 and 26 mm. The mean length of the left anterior descending artery and the circumflex artery was 118.2 ± 6.4 mm and 87.2 ± 8.2 mm, respectively. The left coronary artery trunk was long in 100% of cases. The left coronary artery trunk was bifurcated in 17 cases (54.8%), trifurcated in 14 cases (45.2%). Conclusion: Knowledge of normal anatomy and coronary artery variants is essential and imperative for diagnosis, treatment, and stent placement during coronary angiography.