Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Circumflex branch of left coronary artery (LCx)
Ramus circumflexus arteriae coronariae sinistrae (RCx)
- Origin
- Arises from the left main coronary artery (LMCA) beneath the left auricle
- Insertion
- Courses along the left coronary sulcus (atrioventricular groove) around the obtuse margin of the heart to the posterior left ventricle
- Function
- Supplies the posterolateral left ventricular free wall, left atrium, and anterolateral papillary muscle; supplies SA node in ~40-50% of hearts
- Innervation
- Cardiac autonomic plexus
- Movement & chain
- Diastolic coronary arterial perfusion
- Palpation
- Evaluated via coronary angiography and 12-15 lead ECG
- Clinical
- Posterolateral myocardial infarction (STEMI with ST elevations in I, aVL, V5-V6 or isolated ST elevations in posterior leads V7-V9 with reciprocal ST depression in V1-V3).
- Segmental innervation
- T1-T4 cardiac spinal levels
- In clinical practice
- Obtaining 15-lead ECG (posterior leads V7-V9) in suspected circumflex occlusion, emergency primary PCI catheter lab preparation
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)