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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
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Incidental echocardiographic detection of coronary artery aneurysm in a patient with multiple vascular aneurysms

Milind Y Desai1, Robert W W Biederman, Sunil Mankad

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, USA. milinddesai70@hotmail.com

Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|April 1, 2004
PubMed

Insights

A routine echocardiogram revealed a rare left circumflex artery aneurysm in a patient with multiple peripheral aneurysms. The patient later died from an unrelated intracranial bleed.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Radiology

Background:

  • The patient, a 74-year-old male, had a history of multiple peripheral aneurysms.
  • He presented for surgical resection of a right popliteal aneurysm.

Observation:

  • A routine preoperative transthoracic echocardiography identified an unexpected cystic structure.
  • This structure was located on the inferolateral aspect of the basal left ventricle and left atrium, adjacent to the atrioventricular groove.

Findings:

  • A computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the cystic structure as a left circumflex artery aneurysm.
  • This finding represents a rare cardiac aneurysm, distinct from the patient's known peripheral vascular disease.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of thorough echocardiographic examination, even in the context of planned surgery for other conditions.
  • The incidental finding of a left circumflex artery aneurysm underscores the potential for diverse vascular pathologies.
  • The patient's subsequent death from an intracranial bleed, while unrelated, emphasizes the complex and often unpredictable nature of vascular disease.

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