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Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery - Symptom

Alternative Names

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery; ALCAPA; ALCAPA syndrome; Bland-White-Garland syndrome

Symptoms:

Symptoms of anomalous left coronary artery in an infant include:

Crying or sweating during feeding
Pale skin
Poor feeding
Rapid breathing
Sweating
Symptoms of pain or distress in the baby (often mistaken for colic)

Symptoms can appear within the first 2 months of the baby's life.

Signs and tests:

ALCAPA can be diagnosed in an infant. However, this defect may not be diagnosed until someone is a child or adult.

Signs of ALCAPA include:

Abnormal heart rhythm
Enlarged heart
Heart murmur (rare)
Rapid pulse

Tests for anomalous left coronary artery include:

A test of the electrical activity in the heart (electrocardiogram)
A special dye injected into the blood vessels of the heart to see their structure and position (arteriography)
A thin tube (catheter) inserted in a blood vessel of the heart to measure blood pressure and oxygen levels (cardiac catheterization)
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Chest x-rays
Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram)

Anomalous left coronary artery

Reviewed last on: 4/30/2010
Kurt R. Schumacher, MD, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center, Ann Arbor, MI. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Other Congenital Heart and Vascular Malformations. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, et al., eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 432.

Marelli AJ. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 68.

Park MK. Park: Pediatric Cardiology for Practitioners, 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Elsevier; 2008.

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