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Diagnosis of a giant coronary aneurysm with multiple imaging modalities
D Strouse1, E S Katz, P A Tunick
1Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Insights
A large coronary artery aneurysm, measuring up to 10 cm, was diagnosed in an elderly patient. Surgical resection was successful, leading to an uneventful recovery for the patient with hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are rare cardiovascular conditions.
- Large CAAs can pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
Observation:
- An 8-cm cardiac mass was identified in a 79-year-old male with hypertension and a history of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
- Imaging studies including echocardiography, Doppler, and MRI suggested a large coronary artery aneurysm.
Findings:
- Coronary angiography confirmed an unusually large coronary artery aneurysm (8-10 cm).
- Surgical resection of the coronary aneurysm was performed.
- The patient experienced an uneventful recovery post-surgery.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering large CAAs in the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses.
- Successful surgical management of large CAAs is feasible.
- Further research into the etiology and optimal management of giant CAAs is warranted.
Abstract:
Echocardiography demonstrated an 8-cm mass adjacent to the right side of the heart in a 79-year-old man with a history of hypertension and a repaired abdominal aortic aneurysm. The results of Doppler echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested the diagnosis of an unusually large coronary artery aneurysm, and this was confirmed with coronary angiography. At surgery, the 8- to 10-cm coronary aneurysm was resected, and the patient made an uneventful recovery.