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Clinical expression of coronary artery ectasia

Serafina Valente1, Chiara Lazzeri, Cristina Giglioli

  • 1Heart and Vessel Department, Azienda Ospedaliero--Universitaria Careggi, University of Florence, School of Medicine, Florence, Italy. seravalente@hotmail.com

Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine (Hagerstown, Md.)
|September 22, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) affects 3.6% of patients, predominantly males, and often involves the right coronary artery. Isolated CAE shows a good prognosis, but it is linked to acute coronary syndrome in one-third of cases.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is an uncommon finding during cardiac catheterization.
  • Understanding its prevalence and clinical associations is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To retrospectively determine the angiographic prevalence of coronary artery ectasia.
  • To investigate the clinical presentation and associations of CAE.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 3870 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography from January 1999 to June 2001.
  • Assessment of CAE prevalence, affected coronary arteries, and association with acute coronary syndromes.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of CAE was 3.6%, predominantly in males (89.2%).
  • The right coronary artery was most frequently involved (75%).
  • CAE was associated with acute coronary syndrome in 33.1% of cases, often with coexisting stenosis. Isolated CAE was found in 7 patients with ACS, and 66.9% of CAE cases were incidental findings.

Conclusions:

  • CAE has an angiographic prevalence of 3.6%, primarily affecting males and the right coronary artery.
  • CAE is associated with acute coronary syndrome in approximately one-third of cases.
  • Isolated coronary artery ectasia appears to have a favorable prognosis.
Abstract

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