Right coronary artery–left ventricular fistula with giant right coronary artery of diffuse ectasia: a case report

Background Coronary artery fistula complicated with giant coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare cardiac malformation, and its surgical indications and treatment strategies still need further discussion. Case summary In this case, a 41-year-old man had complained of occasional dizziness for 2 years, but he did not seek medical attention until he started to feel palpitations. A right coronary artery (RCA)-left ventricular (LV) fistula with giant RCA of diffuse ectasia was firstly revealed by transthoracic echocardiography. A widened left ventricle and significantly constricted right atrium and right ventricle were also detected by three-dimensional coronary artery computed tomography. Surgical treatment, including the repair of the RCA-LV fistula, the resection and reconstruction of the dilated RCA and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, were performed to correct the malformation. The patient presented a favourable health condition without any discomfort at the 1-year follow-up. Discussion CAE can be caused by various congenital or acquired factors. Surgical treatment, such as transcatheter embolization excision, surgical ligation or resection for symptomatic patients with CAE three times or larger than the reference diameter, has been reported to have satisfactory results. Additionally, CABG can be selected if myocardial perfusion is compromised and the distal branch is of reasonable size. In this case, the giant ectasia of the RCA may have been a consequence of the congenital RCA-LV fistula. Atherosclerosis, with calcified plaques in the RCA, and the patient's long-term history of smoking may have contributed to the development of giant ectasia of the RCA.