An Operative Case of Right Coronary Artery Fistula Communicated to the Left Atrium / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

We report a very rare case of a coronary artery fistula with communication between the right coronary artery and the left atrium. The patient was a 45 year-old woman admitted for evaluation of heart murmur. Selective coronary angiography demonstrated right coronary artery-left atrial fistula. The operation was indicated due to volume overload of the left ventricle. At operation, the proximal portion of the coronary fistula was successfully ligated from the epicardial side and the entrance of the fistula into the left atrium was directly closed from the inside of the left atrium under the cardiopulmonary bypass. The post-operative course was uneventful. Post-operative coronary angiography showed disappearance of the fistula. Angiography 6 months later, demonstrated that the orifice of the right coronary artery remained dilated, while the diameter of the distal site was normalized.