Radial artery anomalies in patients undergoing transradial coronary procedures – An Egyptian multicenter experience

Objectives We investigated the incidence of radial anomalies (RA) in patients undergoing transradial (TR) coronary procedure and their impact on procedural outcome in the Egyptian population. Background Radial anomalies (RA) are considered an important factor for procedural failure. Information about anatomical variation is limited in our Egyptian population. Methods We performed a multicentre prospective study in Egypt. A total of 650 consecutive patients undergoing their first TR coronary procedure were recruited from January 2013 till January 2015. By retrograde radial arteriography we assessed the frequency of RA and their impact on procedural outcome. Results 650 consecutive patients were studied, 74% male, mean (SD) age 55 (10) years. The overall incidence of radial artery anomaly was 12.6% (n = 82). 40 (6.2%) patients had a high-bifurcating radial origin, 8 (1.2%) had a full radial loop, 14 (2.1%) had extreme radial artery tortuosity and 20 (3%) had other anomalies such as persistent left subclavian artery and extreme subclavian tortuosity. Overall transradial procedural success was 95%. Procedural failure was more common in patients with anomalous anatomy (39%) than in patients with normal anatomy (0.2%). Procedural failure was highest in patients with radial loop (87.5%), followed by those with subclavian tortuosity (45%), then high radial bifurcation (30%), and severe radial tortuosity (28.5%). 14 (2.1%) vascular complications occurred, all of which were treated conservatively. Conclusion There is a relatively significant presence of radial anomalies, with different degrees of impact on procedural failure rate, in our Egyptian population. Further collaborative studies are recommended to increase our success rates.