Coil embolization of a symptomatic left internal mammary arteriovenous fistula

Candice Y Lee1, Peter A Knight, Frederick S Ling

  • 1Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.

Internal mammary artery (IMA) arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are exceedingly rare. There have been a few case reports documenting incidences of IMA AVFs arising from traumatic, iatrogenic, and congenital causes. Recommendations for management of IMA AVFs vary from open surgical ligation-excision to transcatheter embolization to observation. We present an unusual case of a patient who presented with ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure symptoms due to a left IMA AVF that formed after open heart surgery. The patient ultimately underwent percutaneous embolization of the fistulous connection.

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