Circumflex Coronary Artery Fistulae Draining into Right Atrium: A Case Report

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an anomaly making a coronary artery communicate with a heart cavity or a great vessel, thus bypassing the myocardial capillary bed. CAF is frequently diagnosed as an incidental finding. Herein, we present the case of a 4-year-old boy. He was referred for a pediatric cardiology assessment due to a continuous murmur at the middle sternal border. Echocardiogram showed dilated left coronary artery and an abnormal diastolic flow in the right atrium. The right-sided chambers were slightly enlarged, but ventricular contractility was normal. CAF was suspected. Angiography and CT confirmed the diagnosis of coronary fistula from the circumflex coronary artery to the right atrium. Successful transcatheter closure with an Amplatzer PiccoloOccluder was performed with complete occlusion.

Uretero-lumbar artery fistula: A case report

BACKGROUND Uretero-arterial fistula(UAF)is a disease that usually involves the aorta,common iliac artery,external iliac artery,hypogastric artery,and lumbar artery.Among them,uretero-lumbar artery fistula(ULAF)is the most unusual type.So,both in China and around the world,the diagnosis and treatment of ULAF is a big challenge.CASE SUMMARY A 55-year-old female patient with a history of pelvic radiotherapy developed unexplained massive hemorrhage during replacement of the right Resonance metallic ureteral double-J tubes due to a long-standing indwelling ureteral stent for ureteral stricture.Later,we found contrast extravasation from the patient's right L4 artery into the ureter under digital subtraction angiography(DSA)and administered polyvinyl alcohol particle embolic agent and coil embolization;hematuria was controlled.Follow-up investigations at 18 mo showed no sign of recurrence.CONCLUSION DSA is very important in the diagnosis and treatment of UAF,and DSA should be preferred when UAF is suspected.In addition,the use of softer ureteral stents in patients with primary disease and risk factors for UAF should be considered to avoid increasing the risk of the development of the disease;endovascular treatment should be preferred in patients who have developed UAF.

Transcatheter closure of coronary artery fistula using Guglielmi detachable coil

Background Coronary artery fistula （CAF） is a rare anomaly.Transcatheter CAF closure has been introduced using various materials,but only few data are available on the Guglielmi detachable coil （GDC）.The advantage of using GDC for transcatheter CAF closure is more controllable,therefore much safer when compared to other coils.This report is about our experience in transcatheter closure of CAF using fibered GDC in our hospital.Methods ＆ Results From 2002 to 2007,there were 10 patients with CAFs （age range：28 to 56 year-old,7 males） who underwent transcatheter CAF closure.There were a total of 19 CAFs which originated from right coronary （n =5）,left circumflex （n =3）,left anterior descending artery （n =10） and left main trunk （n =1）.Median number of coil deployment for each fistula was 3 （range：1 to 6）.The pulmonary artery was the most common site of the distal communication of CAFs （n =14）,followed by right atrium （n =3）,left atrium （n =1） and left ventricle （n =1）.Immediate coronary angiography after GDC deployment revealed no residual shunt in 12 （63.2％） CAFs,significant reduction of the flow in 5 （26.3％）,while 2 （10.5％） could not be closed due to small size.Nine （90％） patients underwent a repeated angiography within 3 to 8 months.Among 12 CAFs that were occluded immediately post-deployment,there were 2 CAFs with insignificant residual flow.Among 6 CAFs with significantly decreased flow immediately post-deployment,2 were occluded totally in the follow-up angiography.In total,12 （70.5％） CAFs were occluded completely and 5 （29.5％） CAFs still had insignificant residual flow,which did not need any additional coil deployment.During a mean follow up of 4.3 ± 0.7 year,all patients remained symptom and complication free.Conclusions The fibered GDC is a safe and effective method for percutaneous closure of the CAFs.

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by esophageal right bronchial artery fistula:A case report

BACKGROUND Fistula between the esophagus and bronchial artery is an extremely rare and potentially life-threatening cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Here,we report a case of fistula formation between the esophagus and a nonaneurysmal right bronchial artery(RBA).CASE SUMMARY An 80-year-old woman with previous left pneumonectomy and recent placement of an uncovered self-expandable metallic stent for esophageal adenocarcinoma was admitted due to hematemesis.Emergent computed tomography showed indirect signs of fistulization between the esophagus and a nonaneurysmal RBA,in the absence of active bleeding.Endoscopy revealed the esophageal stent correctly placed and a moderate amount of red blood within the stomach,in the absence of active bleeding or tumor ingrowth/overgrowth.After prompt multidisciplinary evaluation,a step-up approach was planned.The bleeding was successfully controlled by esophageal restenting followed by RBA embolization.No signs of rebleeding were observed and the patient was discharged home with stable hemoglobin level on postoperative day 7.CONCLUSION This was a previously unreported case of an esophageal RBA fistula successfully managed by esophageal restenting followed by RBA embolization.

Novel treatment of coronary artery fistulae concealing severe coronary artery lesion： using thrombus aspiration catheter as a delivery guide

In this case report, we present the occlusion of multiple coronary artery fistulaes originating from proximal left anterior descending （LAD） and fight sinus valsavla and empting to the pulmonary artery at the same place. We occluded LAD fistulae by using thrombus aspira- tion catheter as a delivery guide. To the best of our knowlege, this is the first case of occlusion of coronary fistulaes with the help of throm- bus aspiration catheter. Our experience may suggest that thrombus aspiration catheters can be used in treating coronary artery fistulaes with difficult anotomv.

Congenital Coronary Artery Fistula in Children:A Review of 28 Cases with Clinical and Imaging Outcomes

Background:Congenital coronary artery fistula(CCAF)is a rare anomaly.Treatment strategies tend to close the defect with a symptomatic and significant shunt,primarily based on expert consensus and case series.Results for long-term follow-up in children are limited Methods:We conducted a retrospective study to assess clinical and imaging outcomes of children with CCAF at Siriraj Hospital,Thailand during 2000–2020.Patients with single ventricle were excluded.Treatment strategies[surgical closure(SC),and percutaneous closure(PC)]were classified and the clinical outcomes at the follow-up in 2021,including coronary thrombosis,myocardial ischemia,and the results of cardiovascular imaging were reviewed.Results:Twenty-eight children with CCAF were included in the study.The median age at diagnosis was 2.5 years(2 days–18 years).Presenting symptoms were audible murmur(82%)and heart failure(35%).Most of fistulae arose from the right coronary artery(12/28)and exited at the right atrium(11/28).In recent visits(0.5–14 years follow-up),six patients with asymptomatic small CCAF were managed by watchful follow-up without complications.PC was primarily treated in 11 children:7 underwent successful procedures;1 had a residual shunt and required re-intervention;1 had ischemic symptoms immediately after the procedure with left coronary occlusion that required device removal plus SC and 2 were technically unable to place the device,requiring SC.Four patients were waiting for interventions(1 PC and 3 SC).Cardiovascular imaging surveillance that followed closure demonstrated asymptomatic thrombus formation in three patients(1 PC and 2 SC).No mortality presented.Conclusion:CCAF with significant shunt is indicated to close either SC or PC.Ischemic events are rare but have been reported after closure.In addition,thrombus formation should be watched for post-intervention.Surveillance with cardiovascular imaging is recommended after defect closure(ideally 1–5 years post closure),or at interval follow-ups in patients with symptoms to evaluate possible recanalization,thrombus,or ischemia.Life-long clinical and echocardiographic follow-up is warranted.Watchful follow-up is acceptable for hemodynamically insignificant fistula without complication in the series.

Congenital coronary artery fistulas complicated with pulmonary hypertension: Analysis of 211 cases

AIM To compare the behavior of pulmonary hypertension(PHT) associated with coronary artery fistulas(CAFs) between the Asian and Caucasian subjects.METHODS CAFs may be complicated with PHT secondary to leftto-right shunt. Literature review limited to the English language. A total of 211 reviewed patients were collected. Of those, 111 were of Asian and 100 were of Caucasian ethnic origin. The mean age of the Asian and the Caucasian groups of patients were 48.9(range 19-83) and 49.9 years(range 16-85), respectively. In both groups, right heart catheterization was the most commonly(95%) used method for determining pulmonary artery pressure. RESULTS From all of the reviewed subjects, PHT was found in 49 patients(23%), of which 15 were Asian and 34 were Caucasian. In 75% of PHT subjects, mild to moderate PHT was reported and 76% of the fistulas had a vascular mode of termination. Treatment was surgical in 61%, followed by percutaneous therapeutic embolization(27%) and finally conservative medical management in 12% of PHT subjects. PHT was associated with a slight female gender predominance. The majority demonstrated mild to moderate PHT. PHT was reported more frequent in the Caucasian compared with the Asian ethnicity group. The majority of fistulas in patients with PHT had a vascular mode of termination. The results of this review are intended to be indicative and require cautious interpretation.CONCLUSION The likelihood for a CAF patient to develop PHT is presented when possessing the following features, with a Caucasian female having a fistula with a vascular mode of termination.

Surgical Correction of Coronary Artery Ectasia Combining Congenital Coronary Artery Fistula

Background:Coronary artery ectasia(CAE)complicated with concomitant congenital coronary artery fistula(CCAF)is rare.This study characterizes the clinical characteristics of CAE combining CCAF,and reports a single-institution experience with surgical correction of CAE combining CCAF.Methods:A total of 24 symptomatic patients(8 males,median 52.5 years old)who underwent surgical correction of CAE combining CCAF in this center were reviewed.Based on the size of ectatic segment,the CAE were classified as a giant CAE(>20 mm,n=14)and a non-giant CAE(≤20 mm,n=10).Individualized surgical approaches were chosen.The patients were followed up for a median of 3.8 years.Results:The overwhelming majority of CAEs were solitary,and only 4.2%of CAEs were associated with multiple lesions.CAEs were predominantly located in the right coronary artery with predilection to women more than to men(2:1).95.8%of patients with the CCAF had single fistula defect.The right atrium was the most frequent drainage site(33.3%)followed by the left ventricle(25.0%).Surgical mortality was 4.2%.All 22 follow-up patients survived with recovery from symptoms and New York Heart Association(NYHA)functional class I-II.In 10 patients with non-giant CAEs undergoing closure of fistula alone,favorable in-hospital outcomes were recorded,but residual fistula(one patient)and acute inferior wall myocardial infarction related to intracoronary thrombosis(one patient)were observed at follow-up.In 11 patients with giant CAEs undergoing aneurysm resection plus distal bypass grafting at the time of closure of fistula,favorable in-hospital outcomes and encouraging midterm results were recorded.Additionally,in 3 patients with giant CAEs undergoing closure of fistula plus aneurysmal plication,adverse events occurred,including surgical death related to rupture of the ectatic segment(one patient),perioperative myocardial infarction caused by acute thromboembolism(one patient),nonfatal inferior wall myocardial infarction related to intracoronary thrombosis(one patient)at follow-up.Conclusion:Individualized surgical approaches based on the size and the location of ectatic coronary artery as well as fistula should be offered to symptomatic patients with CAE combining CCAF.

A Rare Case of Transcatheter Closure of Both Inlet and Outlet of a Left Coronary Artery-to-Left Ventricular Fistula with Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm

A congenital coronary artery fistula(CCAF)combined with giant coronary aneurysm(CAA)is a rare congenital cardiac abnormality.We reported an 8-year-old patient who underwent transcatheter closure of both inlet and outlet of a proximal left coronary artery(LCA)-to-left ventricular(LV)fistula with CAA of 41 mm×28 mm in diameter,during which acute occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery(LAD)occurred immediately after device implantation at the inlet of fistula.We managed to prevent the patient from major adverse cardiac events by conservative therapy with dual antiplatelet agents instead of surgical removal of the device.The patient recovered well and had been follow-up for 2 years with no late complications reported.

Application of interventional diagnostic and therapeutic technique for coronary artery fine branch fistula

Objective:To explore the value of angiographic diagnosis and interventional therapy of the coronary artery fine branch fistula.Methods:All of the 18 patients with coronary artery fine branch fistula underwent selective coronary arteriography,7 underwent interventional therapy, while 8 underwent prosthesis for coronary artery fistula (CAF) under extracorpored circulation. Results:Among 18 cases of coronary artery fine branch fistula, 7 happened in right coronary artery (38.9%), 11 in left coronary artery (61.1%). Among the 11 cases in left coronary artery,5 happened in descending anterior branch, 5 occurred in left circumflex branch, 1 arised from both left anterior branch and left circumflex branch. Among the 18 cases, there are 10 cases of coronary-to-pulmonary artery fistula (55.6%), 5 cases of fistula draining into right atrium (27.8%), 2 cases of fistula draining into left atrium (11.1%) and 1 draining into right ventricle (5.6%). Interventional treatment was successful in 7 patients. During the 12 months’ follow-up, there was no cardiovascular events. Conclusion:Selective coronary angiography is the first choice for diagnosing the coronary artery fine branch fistula. In respect of therapy, besides of surgical treatment, intervention is still a rather good measure presently.

Percutaneous closure of left internal mammary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistula using the domestic vascular plug:a case report

A 55-year-old man was admitted for transcatheter closure because of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula by magnetic resonance angiography （MRA）. He had a history of occasional chest pain more than one year. Angiography didn＇t reveal significant stenosis at coronary artery. The patient was found a continuous grade 2/6 murmur over the left upper parastenal area one month ago. Chest MRA revealed a possible left superior pulmonary arteriovenous fistula. For diagnosis and localization of the fistula, aortography and selective angiography of the intemal mammary artery was performed and presented a left internal mammary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistula. The fistula was successfully closed using an 12 mm domestic vascular plug. Chest MRA showed that the fistula disappeared at two-month follow-up

Assessment of Right Coronary Artery Fistula by Multiplane Transesophageal Echocardiography

Coronary artery fistula(CAF) is a relatively uncommon cardiovascular disease. It is an abnormal communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber, great vessels, or other vascular structures. Most are congenital. Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography(multiplane TEE. MTEE) can reveal the proximal dilation, the course and the drainage site of CAF. Presented in this paper was a report of right coronary artery-left ventricle fistula , for the first time,right coronary-left ventricle fistula diagnosed by MTEE and confirmed by angiography.

Left Coronary Artery Fistula Identified by Color Doppler Flow Imaging

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber, great vessel,or other vascular structures. The presence of the fistula is usually identified by angiography. In this paper, the diagnosis of left coronary artery-right ventricle fistula was made by color Doppler before angiography? and it was confirmed by surgery.Color Doppler flow imaging is a noninvasive method which can reveal the proximal dilatation, the course and the draining site of CAF.

Bilateral coronary-pulmonary artery fistula with paroxysmal atrial arrhythmia:a case report

Coronary-pulmonary artery fistula(CPAF)is a relatively rare type of congenital coronary artery variation,which is mostly asymptomatic and is discovered incidentally by coronary artery CT imaging or angiography.However,CPAF can cause a phenomenon of inter-artery steal and hemodynamic disorders,leading to myocardial ischemia,arrhythmia,heart failure,syncope and even cardiac sudden death in severe cases.Here we reported a case of a 53-year-old female who complained of intermittent palpitations and had a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.The coronary angiography revealed bilateral coronary artery fistulae to pulmonary artery.In this case,the multiple fistulas were very rare and significant.Multidisciplinary treatment should be considered,including cardiologists,surgeons,anesthesiologists and nurses,etc.Regular follow-up is essential for long-term disease management after diagnosis or surgery.

Surgical treatment of 52 patients with congenital coronary artery fistulas

Abstract:Objective To evaluate the outcome of surgical treatment for congenital coronary artery fistulas (CAF) in 52 patients seen between May 1988 and July 1999.Methods Fifty-two patients ranging in age from 9 months to 58 years (mean 15.7±16.4 years) were studied. Thirty-six patients had no other cardiac defects, 9 of those patients were more than 20 years old and presented with symptoms. Only one of 36 patients less than 20 years old had clinical findings before surgery. Sixteen patients had associated cardiac lesions. The site of fistula origin was the right coronary artery in 37 patients (71.2%), and the left coronary artery in 15 patients (28.8%). The sites of CAF drainage were the right ventricle, right atrium, left ventricle, left atrium and pulmonary artery in 22 (42.3%), 16 (30.8%), 6 (11.5%), 3 (5.8%), and 5 (9.6%) patients, respectively. The mean diameter of the fistula in 43 patients with single ostium was 7.34±4.12?mm.Results Cardiopulmonary bypass was used in all patients and no patient died. An arteriotomy was made on the anomalous coronary artery and the proximal opening of a fistula was closed within the vessel in 10 patients. Closure of the distal opening of a fistula draining into a cardiac chamber or pulmonary artery was performed in 26 patients. In 16 patients, both the proximal and distal opening were closed. Two and 3 distal opening of a fistula were found in 6 and 3 patients, respectively. No residual shunt was found before patients were discharged from the hospital. Forty patients were followed up for a mean period of 3.14±1.84 years. The remaining 12 patients could not be contacted during follow-up. No clinical symptoms were found in those patients during follow-up but one patient still presented with ST-T change. Conclusion Early and properly surgical management is safe and effective for congenital coronary fistula.

Transcatheter closure of coronary artery fistula in children

Background Transcatheter closure of coronary artery fistula （CAF） has emerged as a successful alternative to surgery. We described our experiences in 10 children patients who were accepted for transcatheter closure of CAF. Methods Ten children were 3-10 years old （seven males） with CAF who underwent percutaneous transcatheter closure between October 1995 and April 2008. Sites of origin of these fistulas were： right coronary artery in seven, left anterior descending coronary artery in two, and left circumflex coronary artery in one patient. Drainage sites of these fistulas were： right atrium in seven, right ventricle in two and left ventricle in one patient. All of these fistulas were congenital and had only one orificium fistula.Results A Cook coil was used in four patients and an Amplatzer patent ductus arteriosus （PDA） occluder was used in six patients. Checking the angiogram after the procedure revealed complete occlusion in nine patients （90%） and minimal residual flow in one （10%） patient. Technical success was achieved in all patients. Follow-up studies at short term showed complete abolition of shunt in all patients with no evidence of recanalization leading to recurrence of shunt. Conclusions Transcatheter therapy using either Cook coil or Amplatzer PDA occluder is suggested to be a safe and effective method of occlusion. The midterm outcome of the intervention for CAF is satisfactory.

Transcatheter closure of a giant coronary artery fistula with patent duct occluder

Coronary artery fistula （CAF）, an uncommon form of congenital heart disease, is characterized by abnormal communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or vessel. This disease is often found incidentally in asymptomatic individuals, and leads to cardiac failure, myocardial ischemia and angina, infective endocarditis, and heart rupture in later life. Both surgical repair and transcatheter closure were effective and safe in the treatment of CAF, but percutaneous management of CAF can obviate median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass, and there may be less morbidity with transcatheter embolization techniques, including the use of occluders or microcoils. We report a successful percutaneous closure of a giant CAF from the left coronary artery to the right ventricle using patent duct occluder.

Confluence at distal end of multiple coronary artery fistulae： two cases treated with interventional approach

Coronary artery fistula （CAF）, an uncommon congenital heart disease, often results in myocardial ischemia. In the last two decades, there are some reports about interventional treatment of CAF,4-6 but few on transcatheter treatment of multiple CAFs. With different interventional procedures, we treated successfully two cases of percutaneous closure of two multiple CAFs which were confluent at the distal ends.

Transcatheter coil embolization of multiple coronary artery-to-left ventricle fistulas： report of a rare case

Coronary artery fistula （CAF） is uncommon but remains the most frequent hemodynamically significant congenital coronary artery anomaly.The majority of fistula is single and drains into the right heart, only 3.5% into the left ventricle.^2 A large fistula requires closure to prevent complications such as myocardial ischemia resulting from coronary steal, congestive heart failure, endocarditis and potential aneurysmal dilatation and rupture.^3-5 Here we presented a rare case of CAF with multiple origins involving left anterior descending artery （LAD）, left circumflex branch （LCX） and right coronary artery （RCA）, and draining into the left ventricle, which was successfully closed by coil embolization.

Transcatheter Closure of Congenital Coronary Artery Fistulas with a Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm in Children： Experiences from a Single Center

Background： Transcatheter closure of congenital coronary artery fistulas （CCAFs） is an alternative therapy to surgery; however, data regarding transcatheter closure for CCAF with a giant coronary artery aneurysm （CAA） in pediatric patients are still limited due to the rarity of the disease. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter closure for CCAF with a giant CAA in a pediatric population at a single center. Methods： Medical records of pediatric patients （〈 18 years old） who underwent transcatheter closure of CCAF with a giant CAA between April 2007 and September 2016 at Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute （Guangdong, China） were reviewed. Results： Twelve patients （median age, 6.1 years; range, 1.9-11.0 years） underwent successful transcatheter closure procedures. One patient underwent closure at both the entry and exit points of the CAA, three patients underwent closure at the exit point of the CAA, and eight patients underwent closure at the entry point of the CAA. After a mean follow-up of 7.2 years （range, 0.5-9.8 years）, one patient （with closure at the exit point of the CAA） underwent transcatheter re-intervention because of a significant residual shunt. She eventually underwent a surgical procedure due to aneurysm dilation after the second intervention. One patient experienced thrombus formation within the CAA after the procedure. Among those with closure at the entry point of the CAA, a mild-to-moderate residual shunt was detected in three patients. Conclusions： Transcatheter closure appears to be a safe and effective alternative therapy for CCAF with a giant CAA in the pediatric population. Closure at the entry point of the CAA, and closure at both the entry and exit points when feasible, may reduce the risk of postinterventional complications.