UC Davis

Coronary artery fistulas (CAF) are rare abnormalities involving a connection between a coronary artery and an adjacent vessel or heart chamber. Here we discuss the case of a 47-year-old male patient who had multiple gunshot wounds (GSWs) to the chest and abdomen, suffering a through and through bullet wound to the heart from the left ventricle (LV) through the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery and exiting from the right ventricle (RV). At the time of his hospitalization, he underwent a non-ECG gated trauma CT scan and subsequent cardiac catheterization that showed patient has a CAF between the LAD and RVOT. Roughly 3 years after his injury, the patient had an ECG-gated coronary CT scan showing the CAF is still present. The patient is now experiencing symptoms of heart failure with suspected worsening of shunt flow from the fistula. This case sheds light on CAFs, their presentation and potential complications to raise awareness for clinicians and radiologists.