title: Unusual fistulas and connections in the cardiovascular system: A pictorial review.
abstract: A fistula is an abnormal vascular connection leading to diversion of blood from a high resistance arterial circuit to low resistance venous circuit. Coronary artery fistulas are abnormal communications of the coronary artery with a chamber of the heart, or with any segment of systemic or pulmonary circulation, bypassing the myocardial capillaries. Other unusual fistulas include connection between aorta and the right atrium/superior vena cava, aorta and the inferior vena cava or between a coronary artery bypass graft and a cardiac vein. Abnormal connections also include origin of the coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. In this article, we review the imaging, particularly computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of unusual fistulas and connections involving the cardiovascular system, particularly the coronary arteries and the aorta.
authors.affiliation: Abed Ghandour, Prabhakar Rajiah, Cardiothoracic Imaging Section, Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States.
authors.forename: Abed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghandour
authors.affiliation: Abed Ghandour, Prabhakar Rajiah, Cardiothoracic Imaging Section, Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States.
authors.forename: Prabhakar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajiah
keywords: Artery; Coronary; Fistula