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Coronary Artery Ectasia: Case Reports and Literature Review
Mouad Lamtai1, Youssef Fihri1, Soumia Faid1
1Cardiology Center, Military Hospital Mohamed V, Rabat, MAR.
Insights
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare condition causing abnormal coronary artery dilation. This report highlights diverse clinical presentations and management challenges due to a lack of universal guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare condition characterized by abnormal coronary artery dilation.
- It affects 3%-8% of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
- The etiology involves acquired and genetic factors, with pathogenesis under investigation.
Observation:
- Four diverse cases of coronary ectasia are presented.
- Cases included myocardial infarction, bicuspid aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation, moderate left ventricular dysfunction, and stable angina.
- Coronary angiography is the gold standard for CAE diagnosis.
Findings:
- CAE presents with varied clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic cases to acute coronary syndromes.
- Associated conditions include bicuspid aortic valve and left ventricular dysfunction.
- Diagnosis relies on coronary angiography.
Implications:
- The diverse presentations of CAE pose diagnostic and management challenges.
- There are currently no universal treatment guidelines for coronary artery ectasia.
- Further research is needed to understand pathogenesis and establish standardized treatment protocols.
Abstract:
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare condition, affecting 3%-8% of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, and is characterized by the abnormal dilatation of the coronary arteries. While the etiology of coronary artery ectasia encompasses a myriad of acquired and genetic factors, its pathogenesis still remains a subject of investigation. The clinical manifestations are varied, ranging from asymptomatic cases to chest angina and myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography remains the gold standard for diagnosing CAE. We herein report four cases of coronary ectasia: the first involving myocardial infarction, the second associated with bicuspid aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation, the third detected during coronary angiography for moderate left ventricular dysfunction, and the last one detected during coronary angiography for stable angina. The aims of our study are to highlight the diversity of clinical presentations as well as the challenge of management, given that there are no universal treatments or guidelines.
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