title: Coronary arterovenous fistula: to treat or not to treat?
abstract: We reported the case of a 68-year old male with chest pain. The coronary angiography showed the disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery and, incidentally, an arteriovenous coronary fistula between this coronary branch and the pulmonary artery. The patient underwent off-pump coronary bypass through a left mini thoracotomy. In the present case, after a series of detailed exams, we decided not to close the fistula for several reasons, but mainly because of the singular localization of an atherosclerotic plaque proximal to the origin of the fistula. Therefore, under specific conditions, it may not always be mandatory to close the coronary arteriovenous fistulas.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Unit, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, 00128, Italy. fede.j@hotmail.it.|Cardiac Surgery Unit, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy. fede.j@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jiritano
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Unit, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, 00128, Italy. f.prestipino@unicampus.it.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prestipino
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Unit, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy. mastroroberto@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mastroroberto
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Unit, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, 00128, Italy. m.chello@unicampus.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chello
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging