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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2005;130:569-571
© 2005 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Brief Communication

Coronary-pulmonary steal caused by internal thoracic artery-pulmonary artery fistula after coronary artery bypass operations

Sean Garrean, MD, Cimenga Tshibaka, MD, Ziad Hanhan, MD, Alexander S. Geha, MD, Malek G. Massad, MD *

Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Illinois, Chicago, Ill

Received for publication December 29, 2004; accepted for publication January 11, 2005.

* Address for reprints: Malek G. Massad, MD, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S Wood St, CSB Suite 417 (MC 958), Chicago, IL 60612 (Email: mmassad{at}uic.edu).

Internal thoracic artery (ITA)–pulmonary artery (PA) fistula is a rare complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We describe such a case and review the literature with the aim of evaluating the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and outcome.

Clinical Summary

A 57-year-old woman underwent off-pump single-vessel CABG with a left ITA (LITA)–left anterior descending coronary artery graft through a median sternotomy in June 2000. The LITA pedicle on the basis of its origin from the left subclavian artery was dissected with electrocautery, and intercostal branches were divided with metallic clips. The left pleura was drained with a 32F chest tube that was removed 24 hours later. Two weeks postoperatively, she presented with atypical chest pain and underwent cardiac catheterization that showed a patent graft and no communication with the pulmonary vasculature. Her symptoms were attributed to postoperative pericarditis and were relieved with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

In August 2004, she presented with angina. Her examination, electrocardiogram, and chest radiograph showed no abnormalities. A coronary angiogram showed a patent LITA with a fistulous communication to left PA branches (Figure 1). Her angina was explained on the basis of a coronary-pulmonary steal through the patent LITA. Because she refused surgical intervention, her medications were adjusted to include long-acting oral nitrates. She reported improvement in her symptoms and continues to do well 5 months later.


Figure 1
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  		Figure 1. A coronary angiogram with a LITA injection showing a patent ITA with evidence of a communication to the pulmonary vasculature through a plexus of small pulmonary arterial tributaries consistent with a thoracic-pulmonary artery fistula.

 
Discussion

The pathogenesis of ITA-PA fistula after CABG is not well understood, and several theories have been postulated. Electrocoagulation without clipping of the ITA branches might allow recanalization of the vessels and increase the risk of fistula formation. Disruption of the visceral pleura during surgical intervention might facilitate contact between the ITA and the pulmonary vasculature. The resulting raw surface might enhance neovascularization and promote fistula formation. Apical blebs might predispose to spontaneous visceral pleural disruption or bleb rupture, thereby setting the stage for this process. In hopes of reducing these risk factors, meticulous clipping of the ITA branches and avoiding entry into the pleura have been advocated.

We have identified 15 reported cases, and to this group, we add this case (Table 1). 1–11 Go The first patient was reported in 1990. All except one (94%) were men. Their mean age was 56 years (range, 45–65 years). Three (19%) occurred in patients who had off-pump CABG, and the remaining 13 occurred in patients who had CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass. Thirteen (81%) patients presented with recurrent angina, and 3 (19%) were asymptomatic at rest but had abnormal stress test results. The mean time from CABG to diagnosis of the fistula was 4 years (range, 5 months to 13 years). All fistulas were identified by angiography, with a selective injection of the ITA showing communication with PA tributaries or plexus. In most cases there was a 2- to 5-year lag time between CABG and development of symptoms.


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  		TABLE 1. Literature review of 15 published cases of internal thoracic-pulmonary artery fistula reported between 1996 and 2004 (including the present case)
 
Treatment of ITA-PA fistulas included (1) conservative management, (2) surgical separation of the ITA from the lung parenchyma, or (3) percutaneous embolization. Depending on the patient’s operative candidacy, conservative management with antiangina medications might be the best or only option. Surgical ligation is definitive in those who can tolerate surgical intervention. The recommended approach is a left thoracotomy with dissection of the ITA from the adjacent lung parenchyma. Percutaneous intervention can be performed, although it might be associated with the risk of distal coronary embolization. Of the 16 reviewed cases, 12 had information available regarding management of the fistulous communication. Of those 12, 7 (58%) received medical therapy alone, 4 (33%) underwent dissection of the ITA from the lung parenchyma through a left thoracotomy or redo sternotomy (2 patients each), and 1 had embolization of the fistulous tract. Symptomatic improvement was reported in all but one patient, who was treated medically, with persistence of his symptoms.

Recurrent angina after CABG in the presence of angiographic evidence of LITA-PA communication should raise the suspicion of a coronary-pulmonary steal. The incidence of this complication seems to be on the increase as more patients receive ITA conduits during CABG operations.

References

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  2. Maiello L, Franciosi G, Presbitero P, Gallotti R. Left internal mammary artery to pulmonary artery fistula after minimally invasive coronary bypass. Ann Thorac Surg. 2002;73:317.[Free Full Text]
  3. Madu EC, Hanumanthu SK, Kim C, Prudoff A. Recurrent ischemia resulting from left internal mammary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistula. Angiology. 2001;52:185-188.[Medline]
  4. Musleh G, Jalal A, Deiraniya AK. Post-coronary artery bypass grafting left internal mammary artery to pulmonary artery fistula. a 6 year follow-up following successful surgical division. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2001;20:1258-1260.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  5. Liu Y, Noveck H, Moreyra AE. Plexus between internal mammary graft and pulmonary vasculature after minimally invasive coronary surgery. Tex Heart Inst J. 2000;27:395-397.[Medline]
  6. Najm HK, Gill IS, FitzGibbon GM, Keon WJ. Coronary-pulmonary steal syndrome. Ann Thorac Surg. 1996;62:264-265.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  7. Groh WJ, Hovaguimian H, Morton MJ. Bilateral internal mammary-to-pulmonary artery fistulas after a coronary operation. Ann Thorac Surg. 1994;57:1642-1643.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  8. Kimmelstiel CD, Udelson J, Salem D, Rastegar H, Bojar R, Konstam MA. Recurrent angina due to a left internal mammary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistula. Am Heart J. 1993;125:234-236.[Medline]
  9. Birnbaum Y, Wurzel M, Nili M, Vidne BA, Menkes H, Teplitsky I. An unusual cause of recurrent angina two years after coronary artery bypass grafting. fistula between internal mammary artery graft to pulmonary vasculature. Catheter Cardiovasc Diagn. 1992;27:130-132.[Medline]
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  11. Johnson JA, Schmaltz R, Landreneau RJ, Wright WP, Curtis JJ, Walls JT, et al. Internal mammary artery graft to pulmonary vasculature fistula. a cause of recurrent angina. Ann Thorac Surg. 1990;50:297-298.[Abstract/Free Full Text]



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