Which artery supplies the atrioventricular (AV) node in the majority of individuals?

Which artery supplies the atrioventricular (AV) node in the majority of individuals?

• A. Left circumflex
• B. Right coronary artery
• C. Left main coronary artery
• D. Posterior descending artery

Answer: (B)

The AV node is supplied by the AV nodal artery, and in most people that artery branches from the right coronary artery. This pattern occurs in right-dominant hearts, which make up the majority of individuals, so the right coronary artery is the primary supplier of the AV node. In left-dominant hearts, the AV nodal artery tends to come from the left circumflex via the PDA, but that’s less common. The posterior descending artery itself is a pathway in the posterior groove and can be part of the supply pattern depending on dominance, but it’s the RCA (via the AV nodal artery) that most often feeds the AV node.

The AV node is supplied by the AV nodal artery, and in most people that artery branches from the right coronary artery. This pattern occurs in right-dominant hearts, which make up the majority of individuals, so the right coronary artery is the primary supplier of the AV node. In left-dominant hearts, the AV nodal artery tends to come from the left circumflex via the PDA, but that’s less common. The posterior descending artery itself is a pathway in the posterior groove and can be part of the supply pattern depending on dominance, but it’s the RCA (via the AV nodal artery) that most often feeds the AV node.