Project description:Coronary-cameral fistulas are rare congenital malformations, often incidentally found during cardiac catheterizations. The majority of these fistulas are congenital in nature but can be acquired secondary to trauma or invasive cardiac procedures. These fistulas most commonly originate in the right coronary artery and terminate into the right ventricle and least frequently drain into the left ventricle. Depending upon their size and location, coronary-cameral fistulas can lead to congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and bacterial endocarditis. We describe a case of 49-year-old woman who presented with worsening exertional dyspnea and leg swelling. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an ejection fraction of 35%. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated a fistula connecting the left anterior descending artery and the first obtuse marginal artery to the left ventricle. In this report, the authors provide a concise review on coronary fistulas, complications, and management options.
Project description:We report on a 2-week-old infant with huge left main coronary artery-to-right ventricular outflow tract fistula causing myocardial ischemia due to global coronary steal who was successfully submitted to percutaneous closure guided by a 3-dimensional-printed model using a duct-occluder vascular plug. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
Project description:BackgroundCoronary artery fistula complicated with giant coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare cardiac malformation, and its surgical indications and treatment strategies still need further discussion.Case summaryIn this case, a 41-year-old man had complained of occasional dizziness for 2 years, but he did not seek medical attention until he started to feel palpitations. A right coronary artery (RCA)-left ventricular (LV) fistula with giant RCA of diffuse ectasia was firstly revealed by transthoracic echocardiography. A widened left ventricle and significantly constricted right atrium and right ventricle were also detected by three-dimensional coronary artery computed tomography. Surgical treatment, including the repair of the RCA-LV fistula, the resection and reconstruction of the dilated RCA and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, were performed to correct the malformation. The patient presented a favourable health condition without any discomfort at the 1-year follow-up.DiscussionCAE can be caused by various congenital or acquired factors. Surgical treatment, such as transcatheter embolization excision, surgical ligation or resection for symptomatic patients with CAE three times or larger than the reference diameter, has been reported to have satisfactory results. Additionally, CABG can be selected if myocardial perfusion is compromised and the distal branch is of reasonable size. In this case, the giant ectasia of the RCA may have been a consequence of the congenital RCA-LV fistula. Atherosclerosis, with calcified plaques in the RCA, and the patient's long-term history of smoking may have contributed to the development of giant ectasia of the RCA.
Project description:BackgroundIntra-cavitary (IC) coronary course is a rare anatomical variant that has become more commonly reported in the last decade. While the condition is generally benign and often discovered incidentally during coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), these arteries are vulnerable to injury during cardiac interventions. It is unclear whether right ventricle (RV) pathology, such as dilatation or hypertrophy, plays a role in this condition.Case summaryA patient in their fifties with a medical history of rheumatic heart disease and atrial fibrillation presented with dyspnoea and orthopnea but denied any previous chest pain. Upon examination, the patient exhibited slow atrial fibrillation and generalized anasarca. Echocardiography revealed severe mitral stenosis, tricuspid regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension, and a significantly dilated and impaired RV. Before surgery, a CCTA was performed and revealed an abnormal mid-left anterior descending (LAD) course through the RV cavity with complete systolic attenuation. This finding was later confirmed through invasive angiography. Additionally, the right coronary artery (RCA) showed a mid-segment myocardial bridge (MB). The patient was scheduled for mitral and tricuspid valves' surgery with no planned intervention to the LAD or RCA.DiscussionCoronary IC course is a rare finding that poses a risk of arterial injury during invasive cardiac procedures. It is important for all cardiac interventionists to be familiar with this diagnosis and the potential hazards during cardiac interventions. Further research is needed to determine whether RV dilatation or hypertrophy can exacerbate coronary IC course or MB.
Project description:A 68-year-old male with a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia presented with recurrent episodes of chest discomfort. A 12-lead ECG and an echocardiogram were normal. A myocardial perfusion study could not rule out ischemia in the inferior wall. At coronary angiography using the transradial approach, the right coronary artery (RCA) could not be visualized. Angiography of the left coronary system demonstrated non-obstructive atherosclerosis involving the mid segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and a normal circumflex (Cx) artery. The RCA originated from the mid LAD segment distal to the first septal perforator and the first diagonal branch and was free of atherosclerosis disease. A contrast-enhanced 64-slice multi-detector cardiac computed tomography showed that the LAD was severely calcified in the proximal part, and the RCA coursed anterior to the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) to reach the right atrioventricular groove. The patient was managed medically and became asymptomatic.
Project description:Coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) are rare coronary anomalies involving the communication of an epicardial coronary artery and another cardiovascular structure. CAFs are usually easily distinguished from nearby coronary arteries. Here, we report a unique case of CAF that mimics the size, branching pattern, and appearance of a native epicardial left anterior descending artery.
Project description:BackgroundA single coronary artery ostium (SCAO) is estimated to be present in 0.066% of the general population. The proximal coronary course and the relationship with surrounding structures are related to malignant vs. benign prognoses. We present a case of SCAO with the right coronary artery (RCA) arising from the mid-left anterior descending (LAD), complicated by anterior and inferior STEMI because of acute thrombotic occlusion at the bifurcation and its percutaneous management.Case summaryA 56-year-old male was admitted with sudden onset of resting chest pain. His ECG showed an anterior, inferior, and right ventricular STEMI. Via trans-radial access, coronary angiography showed significant stenoses at the left main and the circumflex but also a thrombotic occlusion at the proximal segment of the LAD while no RCA was seen. After crossing the LAD occlusion, the dominant RCA appeared from the mid-LAD. A provisional stent technique was performed achieving good results. Coronary computed tomography angiography showed an SCAO congenital anomaly with a patent stent in the bifurcation accompanied by diffuse coronary artery disease causing mild stenosis of the left main, proximal, and distal circumflex.DiscussionThe RCA arising from the mid-LAD with pre-pulmonic course has been described in only 37 cases. One reported an LAD/RCA bifurcation treatment with two stents technique in a stable scenario. The present is the first case reported of an acute thrombotic occlusion of an LAD/RCA bifurcation clinically resulting in a left main equivalent STEMI treated successfully with primary percutaneous coronary intervention using a bifurcation technique.
Project description:Diffuse and multiple coronary cameral fistulas are very rare and with very few case reports of its association with left ventricular noncompaction are published. Here, we report a 6-year-old child of multiple diffuse coronary cameral fistulas to both the right and left ventricle in association with the left ventricular noncompaction. A possible common embryological link between the two uncommon entities is also discussed.
Project description:Coronary bifurcation angles influence plaque initiation in the coronary artery, and changes in blood flow caused by tortuosity in the coronary arteries can reduce blood pressure distal to the tortuous portion of the coronary artery, leading to myocardial ischemia. We aimed to describe two factors (coronary artery tortuosity and bifurcation angle) as one descriptor for the evaluation of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) disease. We reviewed the medical records of 133 consecutive patients who underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) for angina symptoms between November 2019 and January 2020. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of significant LAD stenosis on CTA (defined as LAD stenosis >50%). The straight length of the vessel was measured using the central luminal line of the flow path, and, calculated using proprietary algorithms in TeraRecon software. We used three-dimensional volume rendering and two-dimensional axial images to measure the left main coronary artery (LM)-LAD angles. In the univariate analysis, there were significant differences in the linear distance between the endpoints of the 20 mm actual curve of the LAD (d20), cosine value for LM-LAD angle (cosθ) <0.8, age, presence of hypertension or diabetes, and number of pack years [hazard ratio (HR): 2.70, 8.04, 1.05, 3.70, 2.82, and 1.04; P=0.029, P<0.001, P=0.020, P=0.024, P=0.021, and P=0.002, respectively]. However, in the multivariate analysis, the cosθ multiplied by d20 (d20*cosθ) <15.5, presence of hypertension and number of pack years (HR: 11.36, 4.54, and 1.04; P<0.001, P=0.019, and P=0.003, respectively) were predictors of significant proximal LAD stenosis. As the tortuosity and LM-LAD angle increased (d20 and cosθ decreased, respectively), the chance of proximal LAD lesions formation increased. d20*cosθ might be useful as a predictor of proximal LAD stenosis.