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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

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Published on: September 8, 2023
Intraoperative identification and treatment of a giant right coronary artery aneurysm
Joel Ramirez1, Georg Wieselthaler1, Johannes Kratz1
1Department of Surgery, Division of Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery, 400 Parnassus Ave, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Insights
Giant coronary artery aneurysms, though rare, can present acutely. This case highlights emergent diagnosis and surgical management of a ruptured giant coronary aneurysm.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Giant coronary artery aneurysms (GCAAs) are uncommon cardiovascular conditions.
- Diagnosis and treatment strategies for GCAAs remain challenging due to their rarity and varied presentations.
Observation:
- A patient presented with sudden chest pain and symptoms of cardiac tamponade.
- Computed tomography pulmonary angiography revealed hemopericardium and contrast near the aorta.
Findings:
- Emergent sternotomy identified a large hemorrhagic mass on the right ventricle.
- Dissection confirmed the mass as a giant right coronary artery aneurysm with contained rupture.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering GCAAs in acute presentations.
- Successful surgical ligation and bypass of the affected coronary artery were performed in this emergent scenario.
Abstract:
Giant coronary artery aneurysms are rare, difficult to diagnose, and have variable clinical presentations and treatment options. We demonstrate a case of a patient presenting with acute onset chest pain and signs of cardiac tamponade who then underwent a computed tomography pulmonary embolus protocol and was found to have hemopericardium with accumulation of contrast adjacent to the aorta. She then underwent emergent sternotomy and was found to have a large hemorrhagic mass on the right ventricle, which upon further dissection was determined to be a giant right coronary artery aneurysm with a site of contained rupture. Given the acuity of the presentation and the circumstances in which the giant coronary aneurysm was identified, the decision was made to ligate and bypass the affected coronary artery.
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