[Fistula-producing giant coronary aneurysm in a 62-year-old woman].

Giant coronary aneurysms (GCA with a diameter > 20 mm) are rare with a prevalence < 0.02%. A 62-year-old woman with no history of ischaemic heart disease was admitted to hospital with acute chest pain. A coronary angiography revealed a left an-terior descendent-associated GCA. A cardiac computed tomo-g-raphy demonstrated a "snake-pit"-like fistula connecting the GCA and the pulmonary artery. Atherosclerosis, connective tissue dis-orders, and previous coronary intervention will predispose to GCA. No evidence-based treatment regimen exists, but coiling, excision or a conservative approach, as in this case, is possible strategies.

Complementary role of cardiac computed tomography and Doppler-echocardiography in the evaluation of an uncommon case of giant pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta complicated by fistula to the pulmonary artery.

This report describes the case of previous type-A aortic dissection treated with the placement of a termino-terminal prosthesis, which developed a large peri-prosthetic pseudoaneurysmatic sac, detected by CT, performed 2 years after the surgery. This raised the suspicion of a communication between the pseudoaneurysmatic sac and the aortic lumen, but was not able to show it directly. Transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the presence of the fistula, showing a systo-diastolic color Doppler jet signal connecting these two structures.The complementary role of these two diagnostic techniques allowed a complete evaluation of this complex pathology.

A coronary fistula diagnosed in the eighth decade of life: The utility of non-invasive methods in the selection of treatment approach.

A 77-year-old woman was referred to our Department of Cardiology because of exacerbation of chest pain and decreased exercise intolerance. No acute ischemic electrocardiography changes were seen in an electrocardiogram recorded on admission. An exercise test was terminated at 7 METS because of shortness of breath without evidence of ischemia. The patient was referred for a coronary angiography which showed a coronary artery fistula filling from the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and resulting in a large inflow to the main pulmonary artery, without other significant coronary lesions. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a coronary artery fistula draining to the main pulmonary artery. Coronary steal was suspected and coronary flow reserve was evaluated in LAD, showing normal values for age. Due to the overall clinical picture, with the predominance of heart failure symptoms and the lack of significant abnormalities of flow reserve in LAD, medical therapy was selected. The patient remained free from cardiovascular symptoms at 6-month follow-up.

Myocardial ischemia due to a large coronary-pulmonary fistula with plexus-like morphology.

Congenital coronary-pulmonary artery fistula is a rare anomaly. We report the case of a coronary-pulmonary artery fistula with plexus-like morphology connecting the left main stem and proximal segments of the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries to the main pulmonary artery in a 69-year-old woman. It caused inducible ischemia as revealed by myocardial perfusion tetrafosmin scintigraphy (Tc-99m SPECT). To our knowledge, no case of a large plexus-like coronary-pulmonary artery fistula from the very proximal left coronary artery has been reported. Furthermore, only a few cases report scintigraphic demonstration of severe ischemia in such a coronary anomaly.

A diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma: an unusual complication of a coronary artery bypass surgery.

We report a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge involving an unusual coronary artery bypass complication. This is the first report of extensive systemic-pulmonary shunts involving the left internal mammary artery, lateral thoracic and intercostal arteries following coronary artery bypass surgery. Although internal mammary to pulmonary arterial fistula are uncommon complications of coronary artery bypass surgery, clinicians should keep this in mind in managing patients with unexplained exertional dypsnea, especially with prior history of intrathoracic inflammation, mediastinitis, and disruption of the pleura. We also discuss various therapeutic approaches including surgical and percutaneous interventions.

Endovascular repair for aorto-enteric fistula: a bridge too far or a bridge to surgery?

PURPOSE: To review our experience of endovascular treatment of aorto-enteric fistula (AEF). METHODS: Between March 1999 and March 2005, 15 patients in five university and teaching hospitals in Belgium and The Netherlands were treated for AEF by endovascular repair. Twelve (80%) were male. The mean age was 67 years. Thirteen (87%) had had previous aortic or iliac surgery, 1.7-307 months before. All patients showed clinical or biochemical signs of bleeding. Eight (53%) were in shock, five (33%) had systemic signs of infection. Eight (53%) patients were treated in an emergency setting. Ten (67%) were treated with an aortouniiliac device, three (20%) with an aortobiiliac device, one with a tube graft and one with occluders only. All patients received antibiotics postoperatively for a prolonged period of time. RESULTS: All AEF were successfully sealed, the 30-days mortality was nil. Mean hospital stay was 20 (2-81) days. One patient died 2.7 months later of postoperative complications, one died of lung cancer. Until now, there are no signs of reinfection in four (27%) patients (mean follow-up 15.7 (1-44) months). However, reinfection or recurrent AEF occurred in nine (60%) patients after 9.5 (0.61-31) months. Seven patients were reoperated successfully, two patients died after reintervention. CONCLUSION: Endovascular sealing of AEF is a promising technique, which provides time to treat shock, local and systemic infection, and co-morbidity. This creates a better situation to perform open repair in the future with possibly better outcome. Danger of reinfection remains high. Endovascular sealing of AEF should, therefore, be seen as a bridge to open surgery when possible.

[Chorioretinal anastomosis as unfavourable prognostic factor during photodynamic therapy]. / Chorioretinale Anastomosen als ungünstiger Prognosefaktor bei photodynamischer Therapie.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was the documentation of chorioretinal anastomosis in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and correlation with functional and angiographic results following photodynamic therapy (PDT). METHOD: A total of 100 patients presenting with neovascular AMD and indication for PDT based on the presence of predominantly classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV), underwent ophthalmoscopic and angiographic screening for chorioretinal anastomosis. Conventional PDT using verteporfin was performed according to the recommended standard procedure. The pre- and post-treatment status at 3 and 6 months post-PDT in all patients and at 1 week in selected patients was documented with respect to the central visual acuity test (ETDRS), ophthalmoscopy as well as fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). RESULTS: A primary chorioretinal anastomosis was found in 6% ( n=12) of all eyes with CNV and classic PDT indication. Mean visual loss within the first 6 months after therapy was 3 lines indicating lack of visual stabilization according to the PDT study criteria.Furthermore, an increase in visual acuity could not be documented in any case. Angiography demonstrated continuous progression of CNV size although PDT had been uneventful. The characteristic initial occlusion of the CNV with homogeneous hypofluorescence was absent angiographically at 1 week post-PDT. The anastomosis was detected by ICGA in all eyes and by ophthalmoscopy or optical coherence tomography (OCT) in most eyes. DISCUSSION: Chorioretinal anastomosis is not a rare finding associated with predominantly classic CNV. The presence of anastomosis appears to be an unfavourable prognostic factor during PDT. If a chorioretinal shunt is suspected evaluation by ICGA and/or OCT should be performed and the indication for PDT should be rediscussed.

Acquired internal mammary artery to pulmonary artery fistula following bypass surgery.

We report two patients with acquired fistulas between the internal mammary and pulmonary arteries after coronary bypass surgery. This is a rare complication of bypass surgery and may be a cause of recurrent angina postoperatively due to coronary artery steal. A table of all the cases reported in the literature is compiled.

[Left coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistula. Case report]. / Przetoka lewej tetnicy wiencowej do pnia tetnicy plucnej. Opis przypadku.

A case of a 45-year-old male with anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery fistula to the main pulmonary trunk is reported. The patient was admitted because of a retrosternal pain. ECG showed ST-elevation in leads V2-3. This was first episode of anginal symptoms. The authors suggest that the single episode of coronary pain may have been provoked by faintness (following alcohol consumption) in the mechanism of the steal syndrome or by coronary spasm. A fistula (on coronarography) was diagnosed (the coronary arteries showed no changes). The value of the shunt calculated via Flick's method was 1.1 l/min. Exercise test, 24-hour ECG recording as well as stress thallium scintigraphy did not reveal post-exertion ischemic changes. During a 17-month post hospitalization follow-up the patient reported no anginal symptoms. Because of the small shunt and asymptomatic follow-up no surgical treatment was recommended.