Tag Archives: cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging

Background A coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal connection between a coronary artery and another blood vessel or heart chamber. There is a reported incidence of 0.002% in the general population,1,2 and up to 0.2% in angiographic series.1,3 CAF account for less than 1% of all congenital cardiac anomalies.1 Multiple bilateral coronary fistulae are even less common. We describe a rare case of three CAF, arising from each of the major vessels, and the management approach adopted. Case Figure 1. Right anterior oblique (RAO) cranial view of the left coronary artery. The red arrow denotes the fistulous connection between the coronary

Introduction Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has developed into a crucial diagnostic tool in all patients with known or suspected heart disease. The role of CMR in differentiating ischaemic from non-ischaemic heart disease is well established and there are extensive data in the literature correlating myocardial fibrosis, as identified by the late gadolinium hyperenhancement technique, with adverse outcomes in patients with cardiomyopathy.1 A regional CMR service for the Essex region in southeast England was established in 2012, serving a population of 1,393,587 (2011 census data) with the benefit of avoiding transfer of patients to L