title: Congenital coronary artery fistulas in adults: surgical treatment and outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Congenital coronary artery fistulas, a subgroup of anomalies of the coronary arteries, are an extremely rare cardiac defect. Most patients are asymptomatic, and if symptoms are presented, they depend on the underlying anatomy. Knowledge of those fistulas is important for prognosis and management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen adult patients with congenital coronary fistulas (8 male, 5 female) were operated in our department during the last decade (1990-1999). Mean age was 61.5+/-10.8 years. Diagnosis was made by coronary angiography, and 15 congenital coronary artery fistulas were found.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were symptomatic with clinical symptoms depending on the associated cardiac disorder. Coronary artery fistulas originated from the proximal left descending artery (n=10), left main stem (n=3), circumflex artery (n=1), right coronary artery (n=1), and drained into the main pulmonary artery (n=14) and left ventricle (n=1). Nine fistulas (60%) were interrupted on the outside of the heart, and six fistulas (40%) were closed through the opened pulmonary artery. There was no surgical death and no fistula-related complication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical closure of congenital coronary artery fistulas in adults can be performed with a very low risk, and closure is recommended to prevent complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital, University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Theodor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tirilomis
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aleksic
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zenker
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ruschewski
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dalichau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001159:Arterio-Arterial Fistula / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013908:Thoracotomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome