Xiang Pan, Chan Yu, Zhouhui Chen, Bowen Zhao
Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Zhejiang University College of Medicine.
China
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery
J Cardiothorac Surg 2025; 20:
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-025-03691-5
Abstract
Background: Congenital descending aorta to pulmonary vein fistula (cDAPVF) is a rare congenital vascular malformation diagnosed in infancy and childhood. Adult cDAPVF is often asymptomatic and usually detected incidentally by imaging. At present, cases of adults with an enlarged left heart due to cDAPVF have rarely been reported.
Case presentation: We reported a case of 21-year-old female who presented with an unexplained continuousmurmur and left ventricular enlargement followed up for 6 years. The patient developed chest tightness five days ago. The patient was diagnosed with cDAPVF, as revealed by echocardiography combined with computed tomography angiography (CTA). The patient underwent arteriovenous embolization, with satisfactory improvement in symptoms and left ventricular size during follow-up examinations.
Conclusions: cDAPVF should be considered in patients with unexplainable left ventricular continuous murmur. CTA serves as a valuable adjunct for diagnosing abnormal vascular connections that cannot be identified by Doppler echocardiography. Transcatheter embolization may be an effective treatment for cDAPVF.
Category
Segmental Pulmonary Venous Disease. Without a Focus on Pulmonary Hypertension
Systemic to Pulmonary Arterial Collaterals or Connections Associated with Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Age Focus: Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease or Adult Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Fresh or Filed Publication: Fresh (PHresh). Less than 1-2 years since publication
Article Access
Free PDF File or Full Text Article Available Through PubMed or DOI: Yes