Coronary steal with unstable angina secondary to a coronary artery fistula

Rohit Khurana1, Tarun Mittal, Asif Qasim

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, St Mary's Campus, London, United Kingdom. khuranarohit@hotmail.com

Insights

A rare left coronary artery fistula was diagnosed in a patient with worsening angina. Percutaneous coronary intervention with coil embolization successfully treated the condition.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Congenital Heart Disease

Background:

  • A 62-year-old male presented with progressive stable angina and an acute unstable episode.
  • Diagnostic coronary angiography was performed due to worsening symptoms.

Observation:

  • Investigations included physical examination, electrocardiography, myocardial perfusion scan, coronary angiography, and cardiac CT.
  • Coronary angiography revealed a fistula originating from the left coronary main stem terminating in the pulmonary artery.

Findings:

  • The diagnosis was a left coronary main stem to pulmonary artery fistula.
  • Management involved percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with successful coil embolization of the fistula.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of considering coronary artery fistulas in patients with atypical angina.
  • Percutaneous closure offers a minimally invasive treatment option for coronary artery fistulas.
  • Successful management can alleviate symptoms and prevent complications such as heart failure or myocardial infarction.
Abstract

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