Successful concomitant treatment of a coronary-to-pulmonary artery fistula and a left anterior descending artery stenosis using a single covered stent graft: a case report and literature review

Coronary Artery Fistula and Severe Coronary Artery Stenosis: A Case Report and an Insight for Potential Pathogenesis of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

Coronary artery fistulae (CAF) are a rare anomaly characterized by abnormal connections between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or a great vessel, with most patients remaining asymptomatic. Despite being predisposed to severe complications like heart failure, patients with CAF infrequently experience severe stenosis in the coronary artery. This study delineates a case involving a 46-year-old male presenting with a fistula bridging the right coronary artery (RCA) and right atrium (RA), manifesting a pronounced 99% stenosis at the right extremity of the coronary artery proximal to the fistula. Concurrently, the individual exhibits six conventional risk factors: age over 40, male gender, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and hypertriglyceridemia. Following pharmaceutical intervention, the patient was discharged and subjected to extended follow-up. This case highlights the dual processes of "accelerating damage" and "retarding renewal" in the progression of atherosclerosis. Factors such as shear stress, smoking, and hypertension are posited to expedite endothelial cell damage, while aging and diabetes may impede the renewal and repair of these cells. Together with the concept of secondary atherosclerotic plaque healing, this case prompts the introduction of a "Double Endothelial Healings" hypothesis, proposing a potential pathogenetic mechanism for coronary artery atherosclerosis.

Congenital coronary artery anomalies silent until geriatric age: non-invasive assessment, angiography tips, and treatment

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) may be discovered more often as incidental findings during the normal diagnostic process for other cardiac diseases or less frequently on the basis of manifestations of myocardial ischemia. The cardiovascular professional may be involved in their angiographic diagnosis, functional assessment and eventual endovascular treatment. A complete angiographic definition is mandatory in order to understand the functional effects and plan any intervention in CAAs: computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are useful non-invasive tools to detect three-dimensional morphology of the anomalies and its relationships with contiguous cardiac structures, whereas coronary arteriography remains the gold standard for a definitive anatomic picture. A practical idea of the possible functional significance is mandatory for deciding how to manage CAAs: non-invasive stress tests and in particular the invasive pharmacological stress tests with or without intravascular ultrasound monitoring can assess correctly the functional significance of the most CAAs. Finally, the knowledge of the particular endovascular techniques and material is of paramount importance for achieving technical and clinical success. CAAs represent a complex issue, which rarely involve the cardiovascular professional at different levels. A timely practical knowledge of the main issues regarding CAAs is important in the management of such entities.

Simultaneous treatment of a fistula and a stenosis at right coronary artery: one stone two birds

Coronary artery fistulas are abnormal and rare communications between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or a major vessel. Some devices have been designed to treat coronary fistulas percutaneously like coils and vascular occlusion devices. But most of these have been developed for fistulas unaccompanied by coronary artery disease. It is rational to treat a coronary fistula adjacent to a stenosis with one covered stent graft. This report describes a case of a coronary-to-pulmonary artery fistula with an adjacent right coronary artery stenosis that were both successfully treated by a single expanded polytetrafluoroethylene covered stent graft.

Angiographic and clinical manifestations of coronary fistulas in Chinese people: 15-year experience

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an anomaly resulting in the steal phenomenon of coronary blood flow, which may cause morbidity or mortality. CAFs in Chinese patients after long-term follow-up of 15 years were retrospectively analyzed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

From September, 1992 to August, 2007, 152 CAFs were detected in 28,210 coronary angiograms from 125 patients. Clinical and angiographic data of all patients were analyzed retrospectively. Two types of CAFs were characterized: type I in 99 patients with 124 solitary coronary to cardiac chamber or great vessel fistula; type II: 26 patients with 28 coronary artery--left ventricular multiple microfistulas. Single-, double-, and triple-CAFs were detected in 79%, 20%, and 1% of patients, respectively. Coexistent coronary lesions were noted in 41% of patients. Fistula-related symptoms included stable angina in 55, myocardial infarction in 2, heart failure in 2, sudden death with ventricular fibrillation in 1, and syncope in 1. Twenty-four patients had coexistent congenital anomalies. Only 9 patients underwent coronary intervention or/and surgery for CAFs.

CONCLUSIONS

CAFs may cause trivial or lethal cardiac events, and may coexist with coronary lesion or congenital anomaly. Coronary to cardiac chamber or great vessel fistula and coronary-left ventricular multiple microfistulas have different morphologic and pathological phenomena.

Successful treatment of a coronary cameral fistula secondary to elective sirolimus-eluting stent implantation

Coronary cameral fistulae, communications between the coronary tree and the chambers of the heart, are a rare complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. The functional significance and management of these fistulae remain uncertain. We report such a case in a patient undergoing elective sirolimus-eluting stent implantation and provide a review of the literature.

Coronary artery fistulas: how to manage them

Coronary artery fistulas are rare persisting vascular connections from a coronary artery to a cardiac chamber or major central blood vessel. The true incidence is difficult to discern because at least 75% may be asymptomatic and clinically undetectable until an echocardiogram or coronary arteriogram is performed. Small coronary artery fistulas that are not clinically detectable are not clearly associated with significant long term complications. Medium or large fistulas are associated with significant long term problems including angina, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, endocarditis, and progressive dilation. Treatment options include surgical and catheter approaches to significant fistulas. The long term outlook after fistula closure is not well defined and deserves further study.

Endovascular Treatment of a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft to Pulmonary Artery Fistula with Coil Embolization

Fistula formation between a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)and the pulmonary arterial circulation represents a rare cause of recurrent angina in patients following bypass grafting. Therapy has traditionally involved surgical ligation by open thoracotomy. We describe a case of left internal mammary artery-left upper lobe pulmonary artery fistula presenting as early recurrent angina following CABG. The fistula was embolized using platinum coils, resulting in symptomatic relief and improvement in myocardial perfusion on cardiac perfusion scintigraphy. Coil embolization should be considered a therapeutic option in patients with coronary-pulmonary steal syndrome.

[Percutaneous occlusion with coils of coronary artery fistulas in adults]

Coronary artery fistulas are one of the most common congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries. Most fistulas are small and of no clinical significance, although larger or multiple fistulas can be symptomatic and produce complications. Early percutaneous occlusion is now always recommended, and surgical closure is restricted to use for multiple or large fistulas. Here we report four cases of coronary fistula draining from the coronary arteries to the pulmonary vascular bed, which were treated with percutaneous occlusion by coils.

Covered stent for closure of symptomatic plexus-like coronary fistula

Coronary to pulmonary artery fistula are the most frequent congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries. When they are symptomatic they have to be treated in order to prevent complications such as sudden death or myocardial infarction. Surgery is the gold standard for their closure. However an increasing number of reports have shown that interventional cardiology could be a safe and efficient alternative. Plexus-like fistula are composed of multiples and tortuous branches that make them difficult to treat. We report the use of polytetrafluoroethylene-covered (PTFE) stent to cure a plexus-like coronary to pulmonary artery fistula, without associated atherosclerosis, responsible for myocardial ischemia.

Techniques and applications of transcatheter embolization procedures in pediatric cardiology

Transcatheter embolization of congenital or acquired superfluous vascular structure has become routine procedures performed by interventional pediatric cardiologists. Embolization procedure is often part of a collaborative effort with cardiac surgeons to palliate complex congenital heart defect, such as in embolizing aortopulmonary collateral arteries in patient with single ventricle physiology. In other cases, the procedure is the definitive treatment as in embolizing coronary artery fistula. Pediatric cardiologists performing embolization procedures should be familiar with available technologies as well as understand the underlying cardiac anatomy and pathophysiology. This article provides a comprehensive review of presently available embolization agents and technologies. Some of the technologies are used only by interventional radiologists but may be useful to pediatric cardiologists. Specific clinical applications in pediatric cardiology are also discussed with summary of current literature. With continue advancement in transcatheter technology and operator expertise, all unwanted vascular communication should be amenable to transcatheter embolization.