Project description:BackgroundCoronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are rare, and giant CAAs are even rarer. The pathophysiology of this phenomenon is still unknown.Case presentationHerein, we present the case of a 49-year-old male with a giant aneurysm in the left anterior descending artery.ConclusionsThe optimal treatment for CAAs is debatable, but surgical intervention is preferred for giant CAAs.
Project description:The differential diagnosis of true aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms is challenging, and multimodality cardiac imaging is often necessary. We report a case in which the limitations of these techniques are exposed, showing that post-operative evaluation of tissue layers remains the gold standard in establishing this diagnosis. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).
Project description:BackgroundIschaemic chest pain can be originated by different causes. Among all, coronary fistulas are rarely the reason. Such entities are usually asymptomatic and can be diagnosed by echocardiography or coronary angiography. In an even rarer scenario, coronary fistulas might dilate and form an aneurysm.Case summaryWe report the case of a 62-year-old patient who was initially referred to the emergency department for stable angina. Coronary angiography and computed tomography scan showed a giant aneurysm relating to a coronary fistula with a course from the circumflex coronary artery to the superior vena cava. The aneurysm was critically compressing the left anterior descending coronary artery. It was confirmed and resolved by surgery.DiscussionGiant aneurysms of a coronary fistula are very uncommon entities. We describe a rare case of angina caused by extrinsic compression of the left anterior descending artery from a giant aneurysm of a coronary fistula.
Project description:Coronary bifurcation angles influence plaque initiation in the coronary artery, and changes in blood flow caused by tortuosity in the coronary arteries can reduce blood pressure distal to the tortuous portion of the coronary artery, leading to myocardial ischemia. We aimed to describe two factors (coronary artery tortuosity and bifurcation angle) as one descriptor for the evaluation of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) disease. We reviewed the medical records of 133 consecutive patients who underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) for angina symptoms between November 2019 and January 2020. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of significant LAD stenosis on CTA (defined as LAD stenosis >50%). The straight length of the vessel was measured using the central luminal line of the flow path, and, calculated using proprietary algorithms in TeraRecon software. We used three-dimensional volume rendering and two-dimensional axial images to measure the left main coronary artery (LM)-LAD angles. In the univariate analysis, there were significant differences in the linear distance between the endpoints of the 20 mm actual curve of the LAD (d20), cosine value for LM-LAD angle (cosθ) <0.8, age, presence of hypertension or diabetes, and number of pack years [hazard ratio (HR): 2.70, 8.04, 1.05, 3.70, 2.82, and 1.04; P=0.029, P<0.001, P=0.020, P=0.024, P=0.021, and P=0.002, respectively]. However, in the multivariate analysis, the cosθ multiplied by d20 (d20*cosθ) <15.5, presence of hypertension and number of pack years (HR: 11.36, 4.54, and 1.04; P<0.001, P=0.019, and P=0.003, respectively) were predictors of significant proximal LAD stenosis. As the tortuosity and LM-LAD angle increased (d20 and cosθ decreased, respectively), the chance of proximal LAD lesions formation increased. d20*cosθ might be useful as a predictor of proximal LAD stenosis.
Project description:ObjectiveWe sought to investigate whether long-term clinical outcomes differ following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with three-vessel disease (3VD) and lesions in the proximal left anterior descending artery (P-LAD).MethodsThis post-hoc analysis of the Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) Extended Survival study included patients with 3VD who were classified according to the presence or absence of lesions located in the P-LAD. Ten-year all-cause death and 5-year major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were assessed.ResultsAmong 1088 patients with 3VD, 559 (51.4%) had involvement of P-LAD and their 10-year mortality was numerically higher following PCI versus CABG (28.9% vs 21.9%; HR: 1.39, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.95). Although patients without P-LAD lesions had significantly higher 10-year mortality following PCI compared with CABG, there was no evidence of a treatment-by-subgroup interaction (28.8% vs 20.2%; HR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.09, pinteraction=0.837). The incidence of MACCE at 5 years was significantly higher with PCI than CABG, irrespective of involvement of P-LAD (with P-LAD: HR: 1.86, 95% CI 1.36 to 2.55; without P-LAD: HR: 1.54, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.12; pinteraction=0.408). Individualised assessment using the SYNTAX Score II 2020 established that a quarter of patients with P-LAD lesions had significantly higher mortality with PCI than CABG, whereas in the remaining three-quarters CABG had similar mortality.ConclusionsAmong patients with 3VD, the presence or absence of a P-LAD lesion was not associated with any treatment effect on long-term outcomes following PCI or CABG.Trial registration numberSYNTAXES: NCT03417050; SYNTAX: NCT00114972.
Project description:BackgroundIgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic fibroinflammatory condition with multiple-organ involvement. Rupture of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) in IgG4-RD is rare.Case summaryA 65-year-old man with IgG4-RD has suffered from recurrent episodes of arterial aneurysms since 2003. He presented with chest pain and hypotension caused by localized cardiac tamponade at right ventricle free wall due to the rupture of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) of left anterior descending artery (LAD). An urgent LAD aneurysm repaired with bovine pericardium and obliterated aneurysmal sac with cryo-acrylate glue was done together with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using saphenous vein graft (SVG) to LAD and SVG to posterior descending artery. Three-month after surgery, the follow-up coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) revealed a growing in size of LAD and the second obtuse marginal (OM) branch aneurysm. Heart team discussion agreed to schedule the patient for double coil embolization to LAD and second OM aneurysm under intravascular ultrasound guidance. Both aneurysms were successfully obliterated with vascular coils. Two-week follow-up coronary angiogram showed complete occlusion of LAD aneurysm and near occlusion of the second OM branch aneurysm.DiscussionCoronary artery aneurysm rupture is a life-threatening condition that required prompt detection and treatments. In IgG4-RD patients, acute cardiac tamponade suggesting the rupture of CAA. Coil embolization is an alternative treatment in patients who suffered from recurrent CAA after surgical repair. Serial CCTA is important for early detection of aneurysm in IgG4-RD patients who had vascular involvement.
Project description:Backgroundβ2 -adrenergic receptor autoantibody (β2 -AA) are widely present in patients with many different types of cardiovascular diseases. Proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery lesions are associated with adverse prognostic events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Hypothesisβ2 -AA is associated with the presence of proximal LAD lesions in patients with STEMI.MethodsA cohort of 153 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) was enrolled in the study. Baseline characteristics were compared between the proximal LAD group (n = 62) and the nonproximal LAD group (n = 91). Admission serum of patients was collected to detect the level of β2 -AA. Data for echocardiogram within 24 hours after PPCI and at the 6-month follow-up were recorded.ResultsThe optical density values and positive rates of β2 -AA in the proximal LAD group were higher than those in the nonproximal LAD group (p < 0.05). β2 -AA positively correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein and peak N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide levels in the proximal LAD group, but those were not relevant in the nonproximal LAD group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high β2 -AA levels was independently associated with the presence of proximal LAD lesions in patients with STEMI. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to show the efficiency of β2 -AA levels to detect proximal LAD lesions, and the AUC of the β2-AA OD value was 0.658 (95% confidence interval 0.568-0.749; p = 0.001).ConclusionsThe STEMI patients with high β2 -AA levels had a greater possibility having proximal LAD lesions.