Giant right coronary artery aneurysm
Robert Blank1, Philipp K Haager, Micha Maeder
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Zurich, Switzerland. rblank@uhbs.ch
Insights
A giant coronary artery aneurysm filled with atherosclerotic thrombus was identified in a 59-year-old man. Surgical intervention included bypass grafting and aneurysm exclusion.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Coronary artery aneurysms are rare, often asymptomatic, and can pose diagnostic challenges.
- Atherosclerotic aneurysms are a subset requiring specific management considerations.
Observation:
- A 59-year-old male presented with a giant, thrombus-filled right coronary artery aneurysm.
- The aneurysm appeared as an ambiguous spherical mass near the right atrium on echocardiography.
Findings:
- Diagnosis confirmed via transesophageal echocardiography, computed tomography, and coronary angiography.
- The large size and thrombus burden necessitated complex surgical management.
Implications:
- Successful surgical repair involved vein grafting to the posterior descending artery.
- Aneurysm exclusion via ligation was performed due to its extensive nature.
- This case highlights the importance of advanced imaging in diagnosing rare cardiac pathologies.
Abstract:
We report the case of a 59-year-old man with a giant atherosclerotic thrombus-filled aneurysm of the right coronary artery presenting as an ambiguous spherical mass adjacent to the right atrium at the transthoracic echocardiography study. The diagnosis was established by transesophageal echocardiography, computed tomography, and coronary angiography. Due to extent of the aneurysm, the patient underwent placement of a vein graft to the posterior descending artery and subsequent exclusion of the aneurysm by proximal and distal ligation.
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