May 8, 2026European Heart Journal
Abnormal wall movements of the right ventricle and both atria in patients with pericardial effusion as indicators of cardiac tamponade
Population
14 708 consecutive coronary arteriograms
Design
Consecutive series
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Small coronary fistulas warrant expectant management; leaves open their natural history and modern prevalence with advanced imaging.
Key Points
- To determine the incidence, anatomical origin, and clinical significance of coronary artery fistulas in a large angiographic cohort.
- Reviewed a consecutive series of 14,708 coronary arteriograms performed between April 1, 1975, and August 1, 1983.
- Identified coronary artery fistulas in 20 patients (incidence of 0.13), consisting of 19 congenital cases and 1 traumatic case.
- Most fistulas originated from the proximal anterior descending artery and emptied into the pulmonary artery.
- All identified fistulas were small, hemodynamically insignificant, produced no characteristic murmurs or complications, and did not warrant surgical treatment.
Structured PICO
P
Population
14,708 consecutive coronary arteriograms performed between 1 April 1975 and 1 August 1983
O
Outcome
Presence of coronary artery fistulas
Small coronary artery fistulas incidentally found on coronary arteriography are rare, benign, and do not require surgical intervention.
Cite This Study
Gillebert et al. (1986) studied this question.