Transcatheter coil embolization of iatrogenic coronary artery-left ventricle fistula after mitral valve replacement

Diverse Transcatheter Closure Strategies in Coronary Artery Fistulas A State-of-the-Art Approach

Coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) are accounted as the most congenital coronary anomalies. As their natural course is progressive dilatation of the feeder arteries and the fistula tract, so, catastrophic complications are frequently illustrated by aging. Even in those with asymptomatic small fistulas, close follow-up is mandatory to prevent subsequent sequelas. In patients with medium or large-sized fistulas, irrespective of symptoms, closure (either by surgical ligation or transcatheter closure) is recommended. In the current era of advances in the equipment and devices and also innovations in percutaneous closure techniques and preprocedural imaging, TCC is now regarded as the preferred strategy for CAF closure except in some high-risk cases. So, by appropriate case selection modalities, pre-procedural planning, and determining the closure techniques, recent small case-series studies have been reported good final angiographic and clinical results by TCC. In this article, we have introduced several transcatheter closure techniques by details; also, we have recommended more multi-center trials with long-term clinical follow-up to address the best treatment options in these patients.

Spontaneous closure of an iatrogenic coronary artery fistula during recanalization of a chronic total occlusion lesion: A case report

RATIONALE

Coronary perforation leading to fistula directed to the right ventricle is a rare complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The reported outcomes vary from a stable state to rapid deterioration.

PATIENT CONCERNS

An 86-year-old man was diagnosed with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, and arranged to PCI procedure for the chronic total occluded right coronary artery (RCA) after coronary angiography. The guide wire went through the occluded lesion and got to the distal part of the suspected "post lateral artery", which later proved to be in the right ventricle (RV). After dilating with a 2.0 mm balloon, large amount of contrast medium leaked out from the lesion; therefore, we suspected a perforation into the pericardium.

INTERVENTION

Protamine was intravenously injected to convert the effect of heparin and the 2.0 mm balloon in diameter was dilated for about 1 h to obstruct the ejected blood flow shunting into the pericardium, but the leakage persisted. Nevertheless, the patient remained stable, and we were unable to detect an effusion in the pericardium.

DIAGNOSIS

By analyzing the angiogram and echocardiogram, we found that the contrast did not leak into the pericardium, but into the right ventricle (RV) chamber. An iatrogenic coronary artery fistula (ICAF) from the RCA to the RV was confirmed. We thus terminated the procedure.

OUTCOMES

Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography was performed 2 days after the PCI and no abnormal shunt was found. There was no abnormal Doppler signal in the RV, either. The patient was soon discharged, and there have been no complaints of discomfort during the 10-month follow-up.

LESSONS

ICAFs from coronary to the RV always have favorable outcomes. Even like the one in this case that caused medium leakage could seal spontaneously without any additional management. Echocardiography or coronary CT angiography could be chosen as imaging options to follow-up ICAFs.