Coronary arteriovenous fistula

Bong Gun Song1, Yong Hwan Park, Gu Hyun Kang

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Cardiac and Vascular Center, Department of Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon 630-522, Republic of Korea. aerok111@hanmail.net

Heart, Lung & Circulation
|December 31, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Congenital coronary arteriovenous fistulas are abnormal connections involving the heart. This case highlights a unique, lengthy fistula from the left circumflex artery draining into bronchial arteries, diagnosed via advanced imaging.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Congenital coronary arteriovenous fistulas (CAVF) are rare anomalies.
  • These fistulas represent abnormal direct communications between the coronary arteries and cardiac chambers or great vessels.

Observation:

  • A unique case of a very long and tortuous coronary arteriovenous fistula is presented.
  • The fistula originated from the left circumflex coronary artery.

Findings:

  • The fistula drained into the bronchial arteries within the right lower lung field.
  • Diagnosis was confirmed using coronary angiography and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).

Implications:

  • This case expands the known spectrum of coronary arteriovenous fistula drainage pathways.
  • Accurate diagnosis using advanced imaging is crucial for understanding and managing these complex vascular anomalies.

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