When you have completed review of this screen, please click the
"Next page" blue arrow for the second portion of this section. A shallow RAO (10 to 20 degrees)
with a 15 to 30 degrees caudal projection is an excellent view that
provides visualization of:
the left main bifurcation
proximal left anterior descending
proximal to mid circumflex
origin and trunk of the obtuse marginal
and left postero-lateral branch.
The rotating animation on the right (below) demonstrates
the left coronary artery in the 25 degrees CAUDAL projection with
varying degrees of RAO rotation (15, 30, 45 and 60degrees).
Notice how each rotation differs in its ability to display the
origin of the Cx, OM, LPLA and LAD.
Thus, there is no magical projection that can be applied
to all patients. The projections need to be tailored to fit a specific
need. This is all the more important when one attempts to rule out disease
in a specific segment of a branch, or when tries to clear overlapping
vessels during a percutaneous coronary intervention.
NOTE: CRANIAL VIEWS ARE BETTER
FOR DISPLAYING THE Dx BRANCHES WHILE CAUDAL VIEWS ARE USUALLY PREFERRED
FOR VISUALIZATION OF THE OM BRANCHES When you have completed
review of this screen, please click the "Next page" blue arrow for the
second portion of this section.
When you have completed review of this screen, please click the
"Next page" blue arrow for the second portion of this section.
