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A Giant Left Circumflex Artery Aneurysm with Thrombosis Formation Presenting as a Left Atrioventricular Groove Mass
Reza Mohseni Badalabadi1, Ali Hosseinsabet1, Abbas Salehi Omran2
1Department of Cardiology, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
A coronary artery aneurysm, a dilation of a coronary artery, can present as a mass in the atrioventricular groove. This finding, especially with thrombosis, requires clinical attention for accurate diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Coronary artery aneurysms are defined by significant dilation compared to normal segments.
- Patients with prior cardiac surgeries may present with complex cardiac findings.
Observation:
- Echocardiography revealed a mass with an echolucent center in the atrioventricular groove.
- Further transesophageal echocardiography identified a mass suggestive of left circumflex artery aneurysmal dilation with thrombosis.
Findings:
- Coronary artery computed tomography angiography confirmed the presence of a coronary artery aneurysm with thrombosis.
- The mass in the atrioventricular groove was indicative of a thrombosed left circumflex artery aneurysm.
Implications:
- Echocardiographic detection of an atrioventricular groove mass warrants consideration of coronary artery aneurysm with thrombosis.
- This highlights the importance of advanced imaging for diagnosing complex coronary artery pathologies.
Abstract:
A coronary artery aneurysm is defined as the dilation of a coronary artery segment that is 1.5-fold the diameter of the neighboring normal segments. A patient with a history of aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large mass with an echolucent center in the left atrioventricular groove. Transesophageal echocardiography showed that the left atrial appendage was free of thrombosis, and there was a mass with an echolucent center beneath the left atrial appendage, suggestive of aneurysmal dilation in the left circumflex artery with thrombosis formation Coronary artery computed tomography angiography confirmed this finding. In patients with or without a history of coronary aneurysms, the presence of a mass in the atrioventricular groove on echocardiography should alert clinicians about the presence of a coronary artery aneurysm with thrombosis formation as a probable etiology.
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