Coronary-to-bronchial artery fistula: demonstration by 64-multidetector computed tomography with retrospective electrocardiogram-gated reconstructions.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of coronary-to-bronchial artery fistula (CBF) and clinical significance in 1300 patients examined with 64-multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography.

METHODS

One thousand three hundred ten patients underwent coronary MDCT for atypical chest pain or screening. Volume-rendering and multiplanar reconstruction images were reviewed, and subsequent cineangiographies were compared.

RESULTS

Eight cases of CBF were detected-6 originated from the left circumflex artery, and 2 originated from the right coronary artery. A hypertrophied anomalous branch of left circumflex artery was observed in 1 case, and underlying bronchiectasis was noted. Seven cases had a thin-wall communicating vessel. Subsequent cineangiography revealed identical appearance with MDCT reconstruction images.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of CBF (0.61%) in this study is similar to those of a few cineangiographic studies in the literature. Our study showed that 64-MDCT coronary angiography is an accurate and noninvasive tool for detection of CBF.