Etiology, clinical presentation, and management of left main coronary artery aneurysms

The widespread use of noninvasive/invasive coronary imaging increased the probability of recognition of coronary aneurysms. Left main coronary aneurysms (LMCA), though rare, are potentially life-threatening but in the absence of controlled studies, guidelines do not provide any specific recommendation for their management. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the epidemiology, clinical presentation, therapeutic strategies, and prognostic implication of LMCA.

A systematic review of the literature was performed to retrieve all the reported cases of LMCA as of December 2021, which were summarized and classified according to their etiology, clinical presentation, and therapeutic management.

Out of 1997 works retrieved, 180 studies were analyzed, describing 209 LMCA cases (aged 51 ± 19 years, 68% males). Atherosclerosis was the most common etiology (40%), followed by inflammatory (12%), congenital (9%), or degenerative (6%) conditions. Stable angina (43%) and acute coronary syndromes (32%) were more often the first clinical manifestations, while 29 (14%) LMCA were incidental findings. Most cases were treated surgically (53%), while percutaneous intervention was rarely adopted (7%). Data about antithrombotic therapies were scarce and heterogeneous. Finally, when longitudinal data were reported (n = 81), LMCA resulted associated with a severe prognosis, with a 15% mortality over an 8-month median follow-up.

LMCA are most frequently, but not exclusively, caused by advanced atherosclerosis. Irrespective of their etiology and clinical presentation, LMCA may be associated with high short-term mortality. In absence of controlled studies, a careful evaluation of each case is warranted to optimize therapeutic strategies.