Differential Diagnosis, Clinical Characteristics, and Interventions of Braid-Like Coronary Artery: Case Series Analysis Based on Optical Coherence Tomography

Figure 2

The progress of the braid-like RCA in patient #1 and intracoronary details. Patient #1 experienced acute anterior STEMI in 2015 and a braid-like RCA was discovered incidentally during primary PCI of the LAD. Follow-up CAG in 2016 and 2018 showed little change except for the channel walls becoming smoother and clearer. The cross section intracoronary images drawn from the proximal (A), middle (B), and distal parts (C) are displayed. Intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) detected small channels within the vessel with limited resolution. OCT clearly discerned the signal-rich, high backscattered septa between the microchannels with smooth inner borders and the traces of intraluminal thrombi (star). The three-layer wall structure of the inherent RCA surrounding all of the channels could be defined (arrow). The acute marginal branch originated from a separate channel (triangle).