Percutaneous closure of a giant coronary arteriovenous fistula using free embolization coils in an adult patient

Coronary Artery Fistulas: Case Series and Literature Review

Congenital coronary artery fistulas are rare anomalies. As coronary angiography and multidetector computed tomography have become more accessible, they have been increasingly used in the investigation of chest pain and heart failure. Coronary artery fistulas are often an incidental finding, which raises the question of how patients with this condition should be managed. Intervention with either transcatheter closure or surgical closure is often technically possible. Many patients are asymptomatic early after closure. However, follow-up studies have shown post-closure sequelae, such as residual leakage, thrombosis with or without myocardial infarction, and coronary stenosis. Therefore, there has been a shift from intervention towards watchful waiting in asymptomatic patients. In this article, we review the published literature on the natural history and treatment outcomes in individuals with coronary artery fistulas. We present case reports from our clinic and discuss the management of incidental findings of coronary artery fistulas.

Transcatheter closure of coronary artery fistula using Guglielmi detachable coil

Background

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare anomaly. Transcatheter CAF closure has been introduced using various materials, but only few data are available on the Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC). The advantage of using GDC for transcatheter CAF closure is more controllable, therefore much safer when compared to other coils. This report is about our experience in transcatheter closure of CAF using fibered GDC in our hospital.

Methods & Results

From 2002 to 2007, there were 10 patients with CAFs (age range: 28 to 56 year-old, 7 males) who underwent transcatheter CAF closure. There were a total of 19 CAFs which originated from right coronary (n = 5), left circumflex (n = 3), left anterior descending artery (n = 10) and left main trunk (n = 1). Median number of coil deployment for each fistula was 3 (range: 1 to 6). The pulmonary artery was the most common site of the distal communication of CAFs (n = 14), followed by right atrium (n = 3), left atrium (n = 1) and left ventricle (n = 1). Immediate coronary angiography after GDC deployment revealed no residual shunt in 12 (63.2%) CAFs, significant reduction of the flow in 5 (26.3%), while 2 (10.5%) could not be closed due to small size. Nine (90%) patients underwent a repeated angiography within 3 to 8 months. Among 12 CAFs that were occluded immediately post-deployment, there were 2 CAFs with insignificant residual flow. Among 6 CAFs with significantly decreased flow immediately post-deployment, 2 were occluded totally in the follow-up angiography. In total, 12 (70.5%) CAFs were occluded completely and 5 (29.5%) CAFs still had insignificant residual flow, which did not need any additional coil deployment. During a mean follow up of 4.3 ± 0.7 year, all patients remained symptom and complication free.

Conclusions

The fibered GDC is a safe and effective method for percutaneous closure of the CAFs.

Heart failure with transient left bundle branch block in the setting of left coronary fistula

Coronary arterial fistulas are rare communications between vessels or chambers of the heart. Although cardiac symptoms associated with fistulas are well described, fistulas are seldom considered in the differential diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia. We describe the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with left shoulder pain, signs of heart failure, and a new left bundle branch block (LBBB). Cardiac catheterization revealed a small left anterior descending (LAD)-to-pulmonary artery (PA) fistula. Diuresis led to subjective improvement of the patient's symptoms and within several days the LBBB resolved. We hypothesize that the coronary fistula in this patient contributed to transient ischemia of the LAD territory through a coronary steal mechanism. We elected to observe rather than repair the fistula, as his symptoms and ECG changes resolved with treatment of his heart failure.