Cardiac tamponade due to spontaneous rupture of large coronary artery aneurysm

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Satoshi Kimura1, Kazuyuki Miyamoto, Yasutaka Ueno

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1, Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. sakimura@heart.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals
|September 29, 2006
PubMed

Insights

A woman with chest pain experienced shock from cardiac tamponade caused by coronary artery aneurysms and a fistula. Emergency surgery successfully repaired the condition, resolving the life-threatening effusion.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Coronary artery aneurysms and fistulas are rare cardiovascular conditions.
  • Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening emergency caused by fluid accumulation around the heart.

Observation:

  • A 70-year-old woman presented with chest pain and shock.
  • Computed tomography revealed massive pericardial effusion and a coronary artery aneurysm.
  • Coronary angiography identified a coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistula and multiple giant saccular aneurysms.

Findings:

  • The patient's shock was attributed to cardiac tamponade secondary to a coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistula and aneurysms.
  • Successful emergency surgical repair was performed.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of prompt diagnosis and intervention for rare coronary artery abnormalities presenting as cardiac tamponade.
  • Early surgical management can lead to favorable outcomes in complex cardiovascular emergencies.

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