title: Coronary to pulmonary artery fistulas: an incidental finding with challenging therapeutic options.
abstract: We report the incidental finding of 2 coronary to pulmonary artery fistulas observed at coronary angiography performed in a 48-year-old man presenting with acute inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Coronary angiography revealed an acute thrombotic occlusion of the mid segment of the right coronary artery (RCA), which was treated with thromboaspiration and bare-metal stenting. Significant stenoses of the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCX) arteries were also observed during angiography, as well as the presence of 2 large coronary to pulmonary artery fistulas, one originating from the proximal LAD and the other from the ostial RCA. The clinical evolution was uneventful and the patient underwent successful coronary bypass grafting of the LAD and LCX lesions associated with ligation of the coronary artery fistulas 6 weeks later. The fact that 2 large coronary to pulmonary artery fistulas were observed during an acute coronary syndrome in a previously asymptomatic patient with extensive coronary artery disease is of particular interest, because it allowed early surgical correction of this rare inborn coronary anomaly before the development of late and irreversible left ventricular dysfunction.
authors: Cardiology Division, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors: Ariane
authors: A
authors: Testuz
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Roffi
authors: Robert Francis
authors: RF
authors: Bonvini
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001159:Arterio-Arterial Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome