Aborted sudden death in a young football player due to anomalous origin of the left coronary artery: successful surgical correction

Abstract

Congenital anomalies of coronary arteries may precipitate sudden death in young athletes. We describe the case of a 14-year-old soccer player who developed chest pain and syncope during physical exertion, as the first manifestation of an abnormal aortic origin of the left coronary artery from the right coronary sinus. Correct identification by transthoracic echocardiography and confirmation by coronary angiography were made. Two years after the successful surgical correction, the boy had no recurrence of symptoms.