Computed Tomography Assessment of Coronary Fistulas

Abstract

Coronary artery fistulas, a rare anomaly, are represented by an abnormal communication between the coronary arteries and other vascular structures or cardiac chambers and, in most cases, are detected incidentally. Regularly, they do not cause important pathological changes, but if the symptoms persist, they need to be treated. The hemodynamic impact depends on the localization and size of the fistulas. Noninvasive imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging and multislice computed tomography, are widely used for the detection of coronary anomalies. The presence of symptoms (angina, dyspnea) is the primary indication for the surgical or percutaneous closure of the communications; therefore, a systematic follow-up is indicated in all cases. We present four cases of coronary artery fistulas, without important hemodynamic complications, detected by multislice computed tomography coronary angiography.

Keywords

• coronary artery fistula
• noninvasive imaging
• multislice computed tomography