Giant Aneurysm of a Coronary-Pulmonary Artery Fistula:A Rare Cause of a Diastolic Murmur

A coronary-pulmonary artery fistula with giant aneurysmal dilatation is an extremely rare clinical constellation.The natural course of this disease and the incidence of complications are unknown.Hence,optimal treatment,particularly in asymptomatic patients,is still a matter of debate.Here we report a case of a 71-year-old asymptomatic woman with a diastolic murmur.Comprehensive cardiovascular assessments including cardiac computed tomography and invasive coronary angiography revealed a coronary-pulmonary artery fi stula with giant aneurysmal dilatation.The patient was managed conservatively and has now been followed up for 5 years without any events.

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 a rare brachial artery aneurysm postarteriovenous fistula closure after kidney transplant:A case report

BACKGROUND Brachial artery aneurysms are defined as dilations greater than 50%of the normal diameter,which are rare among all peripheral arterial aneurysms.While they are often present as pseudoaneurysms,true brachial artery aneurysms are also detected rarely.In this case report,the surgical repair method of true brachial artery aneurysms,which is a rare condition,is explained.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we present a 61-year-old male patient with complaints of swelling and pain in the right arm antecubital region that had been progressing over 6 mo.Upon the diagnosis of a true brachial artery aneurysm associated with arteriovenous fistula,the aneurysm was surgically repaired with an autologous saphenous vein graft.The patient was discharged without any neurovascular complications postoperatively.CONCLUSION True brachial artery aneurysms are rare and there are not any recommendations for their management in the current literature.Even though the treatment of true aneurysms in this artery is primarily based on a surgical treatment,endovascular repair also might be an option.

Liver abscess and tracheal fistula induced by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)is a standard treatment for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).The complications of TACE include biliary tract infection,liver dysfunction,tumor lysis syndrome,biloma,partial intestinal obstruction,cerebral lipiodol embolism,etc.There are few reports about tracheal fistula induced by TACE.CASE SUMMARY A 42-year-old man came to our hospital with cough and expectoration for 1 month after TACE for HCC.Laboratory test results showed abnormalities of albumin,hemoglobin,prothrombin time,C-reactive protein,D-dimer,and prothrombin.Culture of both phlegm and liver pus revealed growth of Citrobacter flavescens.Computed tomography showed infection in the inferior lobe of the right lung and a low-density lesion with gas in the right liver.Liver ultrasound showed that there was a big hypoechoic liquid lesion without blood flow signal.Drainage for liver abscess by needle puncture under ultrasonic guidance was performed.After 1 month of drainage and anti-infection therapy,the abscess in the liver and the infection in the lung were reduced obviously,and the symptom of expectoration was relieved.CONCLUSION Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of complications of liver abscess and tracheal fistula after TACE for HCC.Drainage for liver abscess by needle puncture under ultrasonic guidance could relieve the liver abscess and tracheal fistula.

Splenic arteriovenous fistula and sudden onset of portal hypertension as complications of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm: Successful treatment with transcatheter arterial embolization. A case study and review of the literature

Splenic arteriovenous fistula （SAVF） accounts for an unusual but well-documented treatable cause of portal hypertension. A case of a 50-year-old multiparous female who developed suddenly portal hypertension due to SAVF formation is presented. The patient suffered from repeated episodes of haematemesis and melaena during the past twelve days and thus was emergently admitted to hospital for management. Clinical and laboratory investigations established the diagnosis of portal hypertension in the absence of liver parenchymal disease. Endoscopy revealed multiple esophageal bleeding varices. Abdominal computed tomography （CT） and transfemoral celiac arteriography documented the presence of a tortuous and aneurysmatic splenic artery and premature filling of an enlarged splenic vein, findings highly suggestive of an SAVF. The aforementioned vascular abnormality was successfully treated with percutaneous transcatheter embolization. Neither recurrence nor other complications were observed.

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.

High-flow priapism due to bilateral cavernous artery fistulas treated by unilateral embolization:A case report

BACKGROUND High flow priapism(HFP)is a rare type of priapism.Perineal trauma is the most common cause of HFP.Trauma-induced penile artery injury may lead to an arterial-cavernosal fistula,whereas persistent irregular arterial blood flow entering the corpora cavernosum can cause a persistent penile erection.The routine treatment of HFP focuses on addressing the abnormal penile erectile status and avoiding post-treatment erectile dysfunction.Interventional embolization is an important therapeutic modality for HFP,and bilateral embolization therapy is currently the most commonly used technique for patients with bilateral cavernous artery fistulas;however,unilateral embolization therapy has yet to be reported.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we report of the case of a 26-year-old Chinese male who presented with a persistent abnormal erection for 12 h after perineal impact injury.Medical history,cavernous arterial blood gas analysis and radiological examinations led to a diagnosis of HFP caused by bilateral cavernous artery fistulas.We performed routine conservative treatment(compression therapy and ice application)for the patient after admission;however,10 d later,his symptoms had not been relieved.After completion of the preoperative workup,right(severe side)selective perineal artery embolization was performed;the left cavernous artery fistula was left untreated.After postoperative continuation of conservative treatment for 72 h,the patient experienced complete penile thinning.The patient had no symptoms of erectile dysfunction over a follow-up period of 12 mo.CONCLUSION Compared with bilateral cavernous artery fistula embolization,we believe that unilateral cavernous artery fistula embolization can achieve positive clinical efficacy and reduce the risk of postoperative erectile dysfunction secondary to penile ischemia.

Carotid-cavernous fistula following mechanical thrombectomy of the tortuous internal carotid artery:A case report

BACKGROUND A carotid-cavernous fistula(CCF)is an abnormal connection between the internal carotid artery(ICA)and the cavernous sinus.Although direct CCFs typically result from trauma or as an iatrogenic complication of neuroendovascular procedures,they can occur as surgery-related complications after mechanical thrombectomy(MT).With the widespread use of MT in patients with acute ischemic stroke complicated with large vessel occlusion,it is important to document CCF following MT and how to avoid them.In this study,we present a case of a patient who developed a CCF following MT and describe in detail the characteristics of ICA tortuosity in this case.CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old woman experienced weakness in the left upper and lower limbs as well as difficulty speaking for 4 h.The neurological examination revealed left central facial paralysis and left hemiplegia,with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 9.Head magnetic resonance imaging revealed an acute cerebral infarction in the right basal ganglia and radial crown.Magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated an occlusion of the right ICA and middle cerebral artery.Digital subtraction angiography demonstrated distal occlusion of the cervical segment of the right ICA.We performed suction combined with stent thrombectomy.Then,postoperative angiography was performed,which showed a right CCF.One month later,CCF embolization was performed,and the patient’s clinical symptoms have significantly improved 5 mo after the operation.CONCLUSION Although a CCF is a rare complication after MT,it should be considered.Understanding the tortuosity of the internal carotid-cavernous sinus may help predict the complexity of MT and avoid this complication.

Current characteristics of congenital coronary artery fistulas in adults:A decade of global experience

AIM:To describe the characteristics of coronary artery fistulas(CAFs) in adults,including donor vessels and whether termination was cameral or vascular. METHODS:A PubMed search was performed for articles between 2000 and 2010 to describe the current characteristics of congenital CAFs in adults.A group of 304 adults was collected.Clinical data,presentations,diagnostic modalities,angiographic fistula findings and treatment strategies were gathered and analyzed.With regard to CAF origin,the subjects were tabulated into unilateral,bilateral or multilateral fistulas and compared.The group was stratified into two major subsets according to the mode of termination;coronary-cameral fistulas(CCFs) and coronary-vascular fistulas(CVFs) . A comparison was made between the two subsets. Fistula-related major complications[aneurysm formation,infective endocarditis(IE) ,myocardial infarction(MI) ,rupture,pericardial effusion(PE) and tamponade] were described.Coronary artery-ventricular multiple micro-fistulas and acquired CAFs were excluded as well as anomalous origin of the coronary arteries from the pulmonary artery(PA) . RESULTS:A total of 304 adult subjects(47%male) with congenital CAFs were included.The mean age was51.4 years(range,18-86 years) ,with 20%older than 65 years of age.Dyspnea(31%) ,chest pain(23%) and angina pectoris(21%) were the prevalent clinical presentations.Continuous cardiac murmur was heard in 82%of the subjects.Of the applied diagnostic modalities,chest X-ray showed an abnormal shadow in 4%of the subjects.The cornerstone in establishing the diagnosis was echocardiography(68%) ,and conventional contrast coronary angiography(97%) .However,multislice detector computed tomography was performed in 16%.The unilateral fistula originated from the left in 69%and from the right coronary artery in 31%of the subjects.Most patients(80%) had unilateral fistulas,18%presented with bilateral fistulas and 2%with multilateral fistulas.Termination into the PA was reported in unilateral(44%) ,bilateral(73%) and multilateral(75%) fistulas.Fistulas with multiple origins(bilateral and multilateral) terminated more frequently into the PA(29%) than into other sites(10.6%)(P=0.000) . Aneurysmal formation was found in 14%of all subjects.Spontaneous rupture,PE and tamponade were reported in 2%of all subjects.In CCFs,the mean age was 46.2 years whereas in CVFs mean age was 55.6 years(P=0.003) .IE(4%) was exclusively associated with CCFs,while MI(2%) was only found in subjects with CVFs.Surgical ligation was frequently chosen for unilateral(57%) ,bilateral(51%) and multilateral fistulas(66%) ,but percutaneous therapeutic embolization(PTE) was increasingly reported(23%,17%and 17%,respectively) . CONCLUSION:Congenital CAFs are currently detected in elderly patients.Bilateral fistulas are more frequently reported and PTE is more frequently applied as a therapeutic strategy in adults.

Congenital solitary coronary artery fistulas characterized by their drainage sites

Last centuries have witnessed tremendous sophistication and progress in the detection,diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery fistulas(CAFs).In many countries,CAFs were reported to be visualized and treated using several imaging techniques and different management strategies.Reports from nearly all continents of the globe have contributed to the description of CAFs,not only in Asia and Europe but also throughout North and Latin America.However,these reports have to be cautiously analyzed as many of them were published as a case report and careful interpretation is warranted due to possible publication bias.A literature search was performed using PubMed search interface to select papers dealing with congenital CAFs in adult population between 2000-2009.A total of 233 subjects were collected,and analysed according to their drainage site and treatment modality.They were divided into two subgroups:percutaneous transluminal embolization group(PTE group,n=122)and surgical ligation group(SL group,n=111).In the SL group,atherosclerotic coronary artery disease(19%)and associated congenital lesions(23%)were more prevalent compared with the PTE group(9%and 8%),respectively.Infective endocarditis was more frequently seen in the SL group besides syncope,congestive heart failure and hemopericardium.In both groups multimodality diagnostic workup composed of several non-invasive and invasive imaging techniques for fistula visualization were performed and drainage sites into the different cardiac chambers and intrathoracic great vessels were similarly distributed in the two groups.

Inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula: Case report and world-literature review

Arteriovenous fistulas between the inferior mesenteric artery and vein are rare, with only 26 primary and secondary cases described in the literature. Secondary fistulas occur following operations of the left hemicolon and manifest as abdominal pain, abdominal mass, gastrointestinal bleeding, colonic ischemia and portal hypertension. Symptom intensities are flow-dependent, and can range from minimal symptoms to severe heart failure due to left to right shunt. Diagnosis is usually established by radiological or intraoperative examination. Treatment options include embolization and/or surgical resection. Therapeutic decisions should be adapted to the unique characteristics of the fistula on an individual basis. A new case of a primary arteriovenous fistula is described and discussed along with a complete review of the literature. The patient in this report presented with signs and symptoms of colonic ischemia without portal hypertension. The optimal treatment for this pa-tient required a combination of embolization and surgical operation. The characteristics of these rare inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistulas are examined and some considerations concerning diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that should be followed are presented.

Isolated arterioportal fistula presenting with variceal hemorrhage

We report a case of life-threatening hematemesis due to portal hypertension caused by an isolated arterioportal fistula (APF). Intrahepatic APFs are extremely rare and are a cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension. Etiologies for APFs are comprised of precipitating trauma, malignancy, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, but these were not the case in our patient. Idiopathic APFs are usually due to congenital vascular abnormalities and thus usually present in the pediatric setting. This is one of the first cases of adult-onset isolated APF who presented with portal hypertension and was successfully managed through endoscopic hemostasis and subsequent interventional radiological embolization.

Tuberculous esophagomediastinal fistula with concomitant mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm-acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A case report

BACKGROUND Esophagomediastinal fistula is a very rare complication of tuberculosis in otherwise healthy adults, and mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm is even rarer. In this case report, we describe a rare case of tuberculosis complication that presented with acute upper gastrointestinal(GI) bleeding. It also highlights the benefits of chest computed tomography(CT) as an excellent adjunct diagnostic tool to endoscopy and bronchoscopy and the role of trans-arterial embolization as a minimal invasive therapy alternative to surgery.CASE SUMMARY A 19-year-old medically free male patient presented with acute multiple episodes of hematemesis for 1 d. Upper GI endoscopy, bronchoscopy, and chest CT with IV contrast confirmed esophagomediastinal fistula with mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm. After resuscitating patient with IV fluid and blood product transfusion, trans catheter embolization was performed for mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm.CONCLUSION We successfully treated a patient with acute upper GI bleeding due to tuberculous esophagomediastinal fistula and mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm using transcatheter coil embolization.

Incidental congenital coronary artery vascular fistulas in adults:Evaluation with adenosine-13N-ammonia PET-CT

AIM To assess the functionality of congenital coronary artery fistulas(CAFs) using adenosine stress ^(13)N-ammonia positron emission tomography computed tomography(PET-CT).METHODS Congenital CAFs were incidentally detected during coronary angiography(CAG) procedures in 11 adult patients(six males and five females) with a mean age of 64.3 years(range 41-81). Patients were collected from three institutes in the Netherlands. The characteristics of the fistulas(origin, pathway and termination), multiplicity of the origins and pathways of the fistulous vessels were assessed by CAG. Five patients underwent adenosine pharmacologic stress ^(13)N-ammonia PET-CT to assess myocardial perfusion and the functional behavior of the fistula. RESULTS Eleven patients with 12 CAFs, 10 unilateral and one bilateral, originating from the left anterior descending coronary artery(n = 8), right coronary artery(n = 2) and circumflex(n = 2). All fistulas were of the vascular type, terminating into either the pulmonary artery(n = 11) or coronary sinus(n = 1). The CAG delineated the characteristics of the fistula(origin, pathway and termination). Multiplicity of the origins and pathways of the fistulous vessels were common in most fistulas(8/12, 67% and 9/12, 75%, respectively). Multiplicity was common among the different fistula components(23/36, 64%). Adenosine pharmacologic stress ^(13)N-ammonia PET-CT revealed normal myocardial perfusion and ejection fraction in all but one patient, who showed a reduced ejection fraction.CONCLUSION PET-CT may be helpful for assessing the functional status of congenital CAFs in selected patients regarding clinical decision-making. Studies with a larger patient series are warranted.

Clinical outcomes of symptomatic arterioportal fistulas after transcatheter arterial embolization

AIM: To evaluate the complications and clinical outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for symptoms related to severe arterioportal fistulas (APFs). METHODS: Six patients (3 males, 3 females; mean age, 63.8 years; age range, 60-71 years) with chronic liver disease and severe APFs due to percutaneous intrahepatic treatment (n=5) and portal vein (PV) tumor thrombosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (n=1) underwent TAE for symptoms related to severe APFs [refractory ascites (n=4), hemorrhoidal hemorrhage (n=1), and hepatic encephalopathy (n=1)]. Control of symptoms related to APFs and complications were evaluated during the follow-up period (range, 4-57 mo). RESULTS: In all patients, celiac angiography revealed immediate retrograde visualization of the main PV before TAE, indicating severe APF. Selective TAE for the hepatic arteries was performed using metallic coils (MC, n=4) and both MCs and n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n=2). Three patients underwent repeated TAEs for residual APFs and ascites. Four patients developed PV thrombosis after TAE. During the follow-up period after TAE, APF obliteration and symptomatic improvement were obtained in all patients. CONCLUSION: Although TAE for severe APFs may sometimes be complicated by PV thrombosis, TAE can be an effective treatment to improve clinical symptoms related to severe APFs.

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.

Melena-associated regional portal hypertension caused by splenic arteriovenous fistula

Regional portal hypertension is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.We reported an extremely rare case in which regional portal hypertension was associated with both the splenic arteriovenous fistula and chronic pancreatitis.In June 2010,our patient,a 41-year-old man,was admitted to a local hospital due to a sudden melena and dizziness without haematemesis and jaundice.The splenic arteriovenous fistula in this patient was successfully occluded through transcatheter arterial embolization.At the 12-mo follow-up,our patient was in good condition.

Mesenteric Ischemia:An unusual presentation of fistula between superior mesenteric artery and common hepatic artery

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is an uncommon condition associated with a high morbidity and mortality.We reported a 36-year old women with postprandial abdominal pain due to chronic mesenteric ischemia caused by a fistula between superior mesenteric and common hepatic artery.

Coronary Artery Fistula and Its Imaging Modalities—A Review Article

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is known be a rare defect of coronary artery. When there is an abnormal pre-capillary communication between single or multiple branches of the coronary artery and any of the cardiac chambers or great vessels, it is designated as CAF. It can be found in both congenital and acquired form. Congenital origin of fistula occupies higher percentage compared to the acquired one. A wide variety of imaging modalities have been lunched to provide the best possible way to access and treat the defect. With regard to the assessment of the coronary artery fistula, trans-thoracic Doppler echocardiography and multi-slice CT (MSCT) angiography have commendable role, however, MSCTA comes in the leading position.

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.