Coronary-bronchial artery fistula arising from the sinoatrial nodal artery in a patient with bronchiectasis: a multimodality imaging case report

Clicks: 1
ID: 320994
2026
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #183 of 247 articles by views in European Heart Journal - Case Reports

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 247 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
Abstract Background Coronary-bronchial artery fistulas are rare vascular anomalies between the coronary and bronchial circulations. They are most often detected incidentally and may be congenital or acquired, particularly in the setting of chronic pulmonary disease. Origin from the sinoatrial nodal artery is exceptional. If haemodynamically significant, these communications may lead to a coronary steal phenomenon and represent a potential cause of myocardial ischaemia. Recognition is also crucial prior to bronchial artery embolization to avoid inadvertent coronary complications. Multimodality imaging plays a key role in their diagnosis and characterization. Case summary A 58-year-old man with psoriasis presented with atypical chest pain. Exercise stress echocardiography was electrically equivocal, prompting invasive coronary angiography. No significant coronary artery disease was identified. However, contrast injection into the proximal right coronary artery demonstrated a prominent atrial branch with opacification of the right pulmonary parenchyma. Coronary computed tomography angiography revealed a retroaortic sinoatrial nodal artery originating from the proximal right coronary artery. Its left branch communicated with a hypertrophied bronchial artery, which followed a tortuous trajectory toward the right middle lobe. Chest computed tomography demonstrated cylindrical and varicose bronchiectasis in the right middle and lower lobes. No haemoptysis occurred. Conclusion This case illustrates a rare coronary-bronchial artery fistula arising from the sinoatrial nodal artery in association with bronchiectasis. Multimodality imaging enabled accurate anatomical characterization and suggested possible haemodynamic relevance. Such fistulas may represent a potential cause of myocardial ischaemia and should be recognized both in the evaluation of chest pain and prior to interventional procedures.
Reference Key
openalex_W7168297222 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Maria Nieves Montoro-Lopez, Gisela Feltes, Ángel Domínguez Álvarez, Iván J Núñez-Gil
Journal European Heart Journal - Case Reports
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/ehjcr/ytag501
URL
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.