Treatment of a coronary artery aneurysm by use of a covered stent graft - a case report

Coronary artery aneurysms: outcomes following medical, percutaneous interventional and surgical management

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are increasingly diagnosed on coronary angiography; however, controversies persist regarding their optimal management. In the present study, we analysed the long-term outcomes of patients with CAAs following three different management strategies.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patient records with documented CAA diagnosis between 2000 and 2005. Patients were divided into three groups: medical management versus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We analysed the rate of major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) over a period of 10 years.

RESULTS

We identified 458 patients with CAAs (mean age 78±10.5 years, 74.5% men) who received medical therapy (N=230) or underwent PCI (N=52) or CABG (N=176). The incidence of CAAs was 0.7% of the total catheterisation reports. The left anterior descending was the most common coronary artery involved (38%). The median follow-up time was 62 months. The total number of MACCE during follow-up was 155 (33.8%); 91 (39.6%) in the medical management group vs 46 (26.1%) in the CABG group vs 18 (34.6%) in the PCI group (p=0.02). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that CABG was associated with better MACCE-free survival (p log-rank=0.03) than medical management. These results were confirmed on univariate Cox regression, but not multivariate regression (OR 0.773 (0.526 to 1.136); p=0.19). Both Kaplan-Meier survival and regression analyses showed that dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and anticoagulation were not associated with significant improvement in MACCE rates.

CONCLUSION

Our analysis showed similar long-term MACCE risks in patients with CAA undergoing medical, percutaneous and surgical management. Further, DAPT and anticoagulation were not associated with significant benefits in terms of MACCE rates. These results should be interpreted with caution considering the small size and potential for selection bias and should be confirmed in large, randomised trials.

Unique Findings and Novel Treatment Strategy of a Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm Associated with a Significant Pericardial Effusion

Giant coronary artery aneurysms are a rare, asymptomatic occurrence. Presently, there is a lack of substantial research performed in the U.S., likely due to its low prevalence. As we are increasingly becoming a global community, strengthening data for seemingly rare disease processes such as this need to be addressed, particularly when they can progress to involve complications such as pericardial effusion caused by aneurysmal rupture or infection. A popular treatment option for these aneurysms is polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stents; they have been favorable with obtaining a high percentage of procedural success rates in aneurysms not associated with myocardial infarctions. In this paper, we present a case of a giant coronary artery aneurysm located in the left circumflex coronary artery that was complicated by a pericardial effusion. We will also present its unusual repair using a long drug-eluting stent as a scaffold to overlap covered coronary stents used to help exclude the aneurysm.

Aspiration thrombectomy and intracoronary tirofiban via GuideLiner® catheter for a thrombosed aneurysmal vessel

A 52-year-old Asian male with no traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease presented with acute coronary syndrome. Coronary angiography showed complete thrombotic occlusion of the left circumflex with a large thrombus burden in the setting of diffuse aneurysmal enlargement of the coronary arteries consistent with antecedent Kawasaki disease. Manual thrombectomy with adjunctive intracoronary tirofiban was performed utilizing the GuideLiner catheter^® (Vascular Solutions, Inc., MN, USA). Stent implantation was deferred. Follow-up imaging 48 h later showed preserved coronary flow and decreased thrombus burden. The GuideLiner catheter, a monorail guiding device, served a novel role in thrombus aspiration and intracoronary medication delivery.

Giant coronary artery aneurysms: review and update

Giant coronary artery aneurysms are rare, with a reported prevalence of 0.02% to 0.2%. Causative factors include atherosclerosis, Takayasu arteritis, congenital disorders, Kawasaki disease, and percutaneous coronary intervention. Most giant coronary artery aneurysms are asymptomatic, but some patients present with angina pectoris, sudden death, fistula formation, pericardial tamponade, compression of surrounding structures, or congestive heart failure. Clinical sequelae include thrombus formation, embolization, fistula formation, and rupture. Surgical correction is generally accepted as the preferred treatment for giant coronary artery aneurysms. We present an illustrative case of a giant 70 × 40-mm coronary artery aneurysm in a 56-year-old man who declined surgery and died one month later. In addition, we provide a review of the medical literature on giant coronary artery aneurysms.