Circumflex artery

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The circumflex artery (or left circumflex artery, LCX) is a major coronary artery that divides off the left main coronary artery (the other being the left anterior descending artery).

Gross anatomy

The artery travels in the left atrioventricular groove between the left ventricle and left atrium. The artery is located in the epicardium.

The LCX gives off up to three obtuse marginal branches and may give off a left posterolateral branch and may supply the inferior interventricular artery (see variant anatomy below).

Supply

Branches of the LCX supply the lateral and posterolateral walls of the left ventricle.

Variant anatomy

in a left-dominant circulation, the LCX supplies the inferior interventricular artery, instead of the right coronary artery (RCA)
in a co-dominant circulation, both the LCX and RCA supply the inferior interventricular artery (or a duplicated inferior interventricular artery)
- the RCA supplying the inferior interventricular artery and the LCX supplying a large left posterolateral branch has also been considered co-dominant
the LCX may arise separately off the left coronary cusp from the LAD (i.e. no left main coronary artery)
the LCX may have an aberrant origin off the right coronary cusp

Related pathology

coronary artery disease: occlusion of LCX leading to myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death

-<p>The <strong>circumflex artery</strong> (or <strong>left circumflex artery, LCX</strong>) is a major coronary artery that divides off the <a title="Left main coronary artery" href="/articles/left-coronary-artery">left main coronary artery</a> (the other being the <a title="Left anterior descending artery" href="/articles/left-anterior-descending-artery">left anterior descending artery</a>).</p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><p>The artery travels in the left <a href="/articles/atrioventricular-groove">atrioventricular groove</a> between the left ventricle and left atrium. The artery is located in the <a title="epicardium" href="/articles/epicardium">epicardium</a>.</p><p>The LCX gives off up to three <a title="obtuse marginal branches" href="/articles/obtuse-marginal-branches">obtuse marginal branches</a>.</p><ul></ul><h4>Supply</h4><p>Branches of the LCX supply the lateral and posterolateral walls of the <a title="Left ventricle" href="/articles/left-ventricle">left ventricle</a>.</p><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><ul>
-<li>in a left-dominant circulation, the LCX supplies the<a title="Inferior interventricular artery" href="/articles/inferior-interventricular-artery"> inferior interventricular artery</a>, instead of the <a title="Right coronary artery" href="/articles/right-coronary-artery">right coronary artery (RCA)</a>
+<p>The <strong>circumflex artery</strong> (or <strong>left circumflex artery, LCX</strong>) is a major coronary artery that divides off the <a href="/articles/left-main-coronary-artery-1">left main coronary artery</a> (the other being the <a href="/articles/left-anterior-descending-artery">left anterior descending artery</a>).</p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><p>The artery travels in the left <a href="/articles/atrioventricular-groove">atrioventricular groove</a> between the left ventricle and left atrium. The artery is located in the <a href="/articles/epicardium">epicardium</a>.</p><p>The LCX gives off up to three <a href="/articles/obtuse-marginal-branches">obtuse marginal branches</a> and may give off a <a href="/articles/left-posterolateral-branch">left posterolateral branch</a> and may supply the inferior interventricular artery (see variant anatomy below).</p><ul></ul><h4>Supply</h4><p>Branches of the LCX supply the lateral and posterolateral walls of the <a href="/articles/left-ventricle">left ventricle</a>.</p><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><ul>
+<li>in a left-dominant circulation, the LCX supplies the<a href="/articles/inferior-interventricular-artery"> inferior interventricular artery</a>, instead of the <a href="/articles/right-coronary-artery">right coronary artery (RCA)</a>
~~-<li>in a co-dominant circulation, both the LCX and RCA supply the inferior interventricular artery</li>~~
~~-</ul><p> </p><h4>Related pathology</h4><ul><li><a title="coronary artery disease" href="/articles/coronary-artery-disease">coronary artery disease</a></li></ul><p> </p>~~
+<li>in a co-dominant circulation, both the LCX and RCA supply the inferior interventricular artery (or a duplicated inferior interventricular artery)<ul><li>the RCA supplying the inferior interventricular artery and the LCX supplying a large <a href="/articles/left-posterolateral-branch">left posterolateral branch</a> has also been considered co-dominant</li></ul>
+</li>
+<li>the LCX may arise separately off the left coronary cusp from the LAD (i.e. no <a title="Left main coronary artery" href="/articles/left-main-coronary-artery-1">left main coronary artery</a>)</li>
+<li>the LCX may have an aberrant origin off the right coronary cusp</li>
+</ul><h4>Related pathology</h4><ul><li>
+<a href="/articles/coronary-artery-disease">coronary artery disease</a>: occlusion of LCX leading to myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death</li></ul>

References changed:

1. Halpern EJ. Clinical Cardiac CT. Thieme. ISBN:1604063750. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1604063750">Read it at Google Books</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604063750">Find it at Amazon</a><span class="auto"></span>

Sections changed:

Anatomy

Systems changed:

Cardiac

Tags changed:

cardiac
cardiac anatomy
cardiac ct
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cases

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