Giant Right Coronary Artery Aneurysm Mimicking a Mediastinal Cyst With Compression Effects: A Case Report

Unmasking of a Giant Coronary Aneurysm by Chronic Total Coronary Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Techniques

A young female patient presenting with a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction underwent invasive coronary angiography, revealing a total occlusion of the right coronary artery. During percutaneous coronary intervention with dual catheter access, a retrograde tip injection and peculiar retrograde wiring unmasked a giant coronary aneurysm, which noninvasive imaging confirmed.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Coronary Artery Aneurysms; Technical Aspects. Report of Case Series and Literature Review

Coronary Artery Aneurysms (CAAs) in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients are associated with poor long-term outcomes. The best treatment option for CAAs remains a subject of debate. The underlying pathology is not well understood, randomised controlled trials and supportive data are lacking and there is no consensus on treatment plan. The recommended therapies include medical management, percutaneous or surgical exclusion of the aneurysm or coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be technically challenging even with a suitable anatomy, specifically in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We report case series of CAAs presenting as ACS and focus on PCI treatment option.

Giant right coronary artery aneurysm - A rare presentation

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is focal dilatation of a coronary artery 1.5 times or more its normal size (Res Cardiovasc Med, 2016; 5: e32086). Coronary artery aneurysm is found in 1.2-4.9% of diagnostic coronary angiography and 1.4% at post-mortem (Heart Views, 2014; 15: 13; Clin Cardiol, 2015; 29: 439). The proximal and middle segments of the right coronary artery (RCA) are most commonly involved, followed by the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) and the left circumflex arteries. The left main stem rarely develops aneurysms (Clin Cardiol, 2015; 29: 439). A giant aneurysm is a CAA> 2 cm. Giant coronary artery aneurysms (GCAA) are rare (incidence 0.02%) although cause serious complications. [4] Given the rarity of this disease, there is limited information in the literature on its presentation and there is no consensus on its optimal management option. We report a case of a GCAA with an atypical presentation and describe its management. This will add to the current small database on CAA to provide clinicians a better insight on the disease.