Three hundred patients were examined to determine the value of the caudocranial right anterior oblique view (RAO) in revealing or improving visualization of lesions in the proximal and mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD), the origins of the septal and diagonal arteries, and the distal branches of the right coronary artery (RCA). The proximal and mid-LAD were shown to greater advantage in 80% of cases, the diagnonal arteries in nearly 75%, the septal vessels in more than 90% and the posterior descending and posterolateral branches of the distal RCA in more than 80%; in addition, the cranial RAO view revealed previously unsuspected lesions in 7% of the proximal and 26% of the septal vessels. In addition to superior visualization, this view gives satisfactory exposure even in extremely large patients and may also be helpful in coronary angioplasty.
