Coronariae

Coronariae is the plural form used in anatomical terminology to refer to the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply the heart muscle. In modern English, these are commonly called the coronary arteries, or arteries coronariae when Latin terminology is used.

The two main arteries are the right coronary artery (RCA) and the left coronary artery (LCA), both arising from the aorta above the aortic valve—RCA from the right aortic sinus and LCA from the left aortic sinus. The RCA descends in the right atrioventricular groove and typically supplies the right atrium, much of the right ventricle, and often the AV node. The LCA rapidly bifurcates into the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and the circumflex (LCx) artery; the LAD runs along the anterior interventricular groove and supplies the anterior left ventricle and much of the interventricular septum, while the LCx travels in the left atrioventricular groove to supply the left atrium and the lateral/posterior left ventricle. Coronary dominance is determined by which artery gives rise to the posterior interventricular artery; about 70% are right-dominant, 10–15% left-dominant, and the remainder codominant.

Coronary perfusion occurs predominantly during diastole, with flow modulated by myocardial demand and regional autoregulation. The coronary circulation is high-flow and high-resistance, and it is particularly vulnerable to atherosclerotic disease, which can narrow lumens and lead to myocardial ischemia or infarction if occlusion occurs.

Clinical relevance includes diagnostic imaging such as coronary angiography and treatment strategies ranging from medical therapy to percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting. Developmentally, the coronary arteries arise from epicardial vessels formed during embryogenesis, and anatomical variants or congenital anomalies may occur, including anomalous origins or a single coronary ostium.