Cardiology
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2025-27-3-695-702
CORONARY ARTERY ECTASIA: CURRENT CONCEPTS
1Department of Cardiac Surgery and Endovascular Surgery, Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I.K. Akhunbaev, Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan
2Department of Endovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Methods, National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after Academician Mirsaid Mirrakhimov, Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan
3Department of Therapy No. 2 Specialty “General Medicine”, Medical Faculty of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after the first President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin, Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan
4Department of Ischemic Heart Disease, National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after Academician Mirsaid Mirrakhimov, Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare condition that affects 3-8% of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), characterized by abnormal dilation of the arteries. The etiology of CAE encompasses a range of acquired and genetic factors, and its pathogenesis remains a subject of ongoing research and debate. Clinical manifestations of CAE can vary widely, ranging from asymptomatic cases to chronic or acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Currently, coronary angiography is considered the gold standard for CAE diagnosis.
Current research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of CAE, assessing its clinical significance, and optimizing management approaches. There are no universally accepted therapeutic strategies, which underscores the need for an individualized approach to treatment. The risks of thrombosis, ischemia, and disease progression highlight the significance of contemporary diagnostics and monitoring of CAE. Despite being described over 50 years ago, the etiopathogenesis and management tactics for patients with CAE remain topics of ongoing discussion. To this end, we reviewed the literature from the past decade, utilizing databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. We used keywords including "coronary artery ectasia", "etiopathogenesis", "clinical presentation", "diagnostics", and "treatment", either separately or in combination. Our review centered on the etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of CAE.
Keywords: Coronary artery ectasia, etiopathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostics, treatment.
References
- Ahmad M, Mungee S. Coronary Ectasia [Updated 2022 Sep 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan. https://doi.org/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK541130/?report=reader.
- Gahlan P, Gupta D, Mutha S, Shah S, Patel T. Clinical predictors of coronary artery ectasia. Angiology. 2023;74(9):876-80. https://doi. org/10.1177/00033197221126251
- Ovalı C, Morrad B. Associations between coronary artery disease, aneurysm and ectasia. Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2017;14:158-63. https://doi. org/10.5114/kitp.2017.70276
- Eaten A, Roguin A. Coronary artery ectasia new insights into pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Coronary Artery Disease. 2016;27(5):420-8. https:// doi.org/10.1097/MCA.0000000000000379
- Yuan M, Li R, Wu Q, Chen Qi. Prevalence and angiographic characteristics of coronary artery ectasia among patients with coronary artery disease: A retrospective analysis between 2014 and 2022. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2023;261(2):165-71. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.2023.J065
- Lamtai M, Fihri Y, Faid S, Nabil L, Britel D, Faliouni H, et al. Coronary artery ectasia: Case reports and literature review. Cureus. 2024;16(6):e62011. https:// doi.org/10.7759/cureus.62011
- Iwańczyk S, Lehmann T, Pławski A, Woźniak P, Hertel A, Araszkiewicz A, et al. Novel genetic variants potentially associated with the pathogenesis of coronary artery aneurysm: Whole-exome sequencing analysis. Hellenic J Cardiol. 2024;79:84-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hjc.2024.02.007
- Devabhaktuni S, Mercedes A, Diep J, Ahsan C. Coronary artery ectasia – A review of current literature. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2016;12:318-23. https://doi.org/174/157 3403X12666160504100159
- Esposito L, Di Maio M, Silverio A, Cancro FP, Bellino M, Attisano T, et al. Treatment and outcome of patients with coronary artery ectasia: Current evidence and novel opportunities for an old dilemma. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022;8:805727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.805727
- Gunasekaran P, Stanojevic D, Drees T, Fritzlen J, Haghnegahdar M, McCullough M, et al. Prognostic significance, angiographic characteristics and impact of antithrombotic and anticoagulant therapy on outcomes in high versus low grade coronary artery ectasia: A long-term follow-up study. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2019;93:1219-27. https://doi.org/10.1002/ccd.27929
- Baldi C, Silverio A, Esposito L, Di Maio M, Tarantino F, De Angelis E, et al. Clinical outcome of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and angiographic evidence of coronary artery ectasia. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2021; 99(2):340- 7. https://doi.org/10.1002/ccd.29738
- Woźniak P, Iwańczyk S, Błaszyk M, Stępień K, Lesiak M, Mularek-Kubzdela T, et al. Coronary artery aneurysm or ectasia as a form of coronary artery remodeling: Etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, complications, and treatment. Biomedicines. 2024;12:1984. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12091984
- Qin Y, Tang Ch , Ma Ch, Yan G. Risk factors for coronary artery ectasia and the relationship between hyperlipidemia and coronary artery ectasia. Coron Artery Dis. 2019;30(3):211-5. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCA.0000000000000709
- McCrindle BW, Rowley AH, Newburger JW, Burns JC, Bolger AF, Gewitz M, et al; American Heart Association Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; and Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of Kawasaki disease: A scientific statement for health professionals from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017;135:e927-e999. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000484
- Haroun RR, Chu LC, Fishman EK. Prevalence and natural history of coronary ostial aneurysms in marfan patients. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2019;43:115-8. https:// doi.org/10.1097/RCT.0000000000000799
- Denby KJ, Clark DE, Markham LW. Management of Kawasaki disease in adults. Heart. 2017;103(22):1760-9. https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2017-311774
- Kuo HC, Li SC, Huang LH, Huang YH. Epigenetic hypomethylation and upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in Kawasaki disease. Oncotarget. 2017;8:60875- 91. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.19650
- Tian F, Ma L, Zhao R, Ji L, Wang X, Sun W and Jiang Y. Correlation between matrix metalloproteinases with coronary artery lesion caused by Kawasaki disease. Front Pediatr. 2022;10:802217. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.802217
- Bahrami N, Asadikaram G, Masoumi M. Association of opium addiction with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease. Addict Health. 2021;13(2):77-84. https://doi.org/10.22122/ahj.v13i2.294
- Hong S-J, Kim H, Ahn Ch-M, Kim J-S, Kim B-K Kho Y-G, et al. Coronary artery aneurysm after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation. Yonsei Med J. 2019;60(9):824-31. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2019.60.9.824
- Joo HJ, Woong Yu C, Choi R, Park J, Lee HJ, Kim JS, et al. Clinical outcomes of patients with coronary artery aneurysm after the first generation drug-eluting stent implantation. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2018;1;92(3):E235-E245. https:// doi.org/10.1002/ccd.27429
- Hayashi T, Tanaka Y, Shishido K, Yokota S, Moriyama N, Tobita K, et al. Wire bias, insufficient differential sanding, and orbital atherectomy-induced coronary pseudoaneurysm. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2018;11:e007003. https://doi. org/10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.118.007003
- Tavakol М, Ashraf S, Brener SJ. Risks and complications of coronary angiography: A comprehensive review. Global Journal of Health Science. 2024;4(1):65-5. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v4n1p65
- Abou Sherif S, Ozden Tok O, Taşköylü Ö, Goktekin O, Kilic ID. Coronary artery aneurysms: A review of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2017;4:24. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fcvm.2017.00024
- Qin Y, Tang C, Ma C, Yan G. Risk factors for coronary artery ectasia and the relationship between hyperlipidemia and coronary artery ectasia. Coron Artery Dis. 2019;30:211-5. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCA.0000000000000709
- Nough H, Moradi F, Varasteravan HR, Afkhami L, Azimizadeh M, Mohammadi H, et al. Assessment of prevalence and risk factors of isolated coronary artery ectasia: A 5-year double-center retrospective study in Yazd, Iran. Caspian J Intern Med. 2024;15(2):244-50. https://doi.org/10.22088/cjim.15.2.244
- Bahremand M, Zereshki E, Matin BK, Rezaei M, Omrani H. Hypertension and coronary artery ectasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis study. Clin Hypertens. 2021;27(1):14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40885-021-00170-6
- Cai Z, Li L, Wang H, Yuan S, Yin D, Song W, et al. Effect of type 2 diabetes on coronary artery ectasia: Smaller lesion diameter and shorter lesion length but similar adverse cardiovascular events. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2022;21(1):9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-022-01444-5
- Luo Y, Tang J, Liu X, Qiu J, Ye Z, Lai Y, et al. Coronary artery aneurysm differs from coronary artery ectasia: Angiographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factor analysis in patients referred for coronary angiography. Angiology. 2017;68(9):823-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003319716665690
- Balderston JR, Giri J, Kolansky DM, Bavaria JE, Gertz ZM. Coronary artery aneurysms associated with ascending aortic aneurysms and abdominal aortic aneurysms: Pathophysiologic implications. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2015;85:961-7. https://doi.org/10.1002/ccd.25726
- Meindl C, Achatz B, Huber D, Baessler A, Hubauer U, Meisinger C, et al. Coronary artery ectasia are frequently observed in patients with bicuspid aortic valves with and without dilatation of the ascending aorta. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2016:9:e004092. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.116.004092
- Markis JE, Joffe CD, Cohn PF, Feen DJ, Herman MV, Gorlin R. Clinical significance of coronary arterial ectasia. Am J Cardiol. 1976:37:217-22. https://doi. org/10.1016/0002-9149(76)90315-5
- Forte E, Aiello M, Inglese M, Infante T, Soricelli A, Tedeschi C, et al. Coronary artery aneurysms detected by computed tomography coronary angiography. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017;18:1229-35. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjci/ jew218
- Ali ZA, Karimi Galougahi K, Mintz GS, Maehara A, Shlofmitz RA, Mattesini A. Intracoronary optical coherence tomography: State of the art and future directions. Eurointervention. 2021;17:e105-23. https://doi.org/10.4244/EIJ-D-21 00089
- Hajhosseiny R, Munoz C, Cruz G, Khamis R, Kim WY, Prieto C, et al. Coronary magnetic resonance angiography in chronic coronary syndromes. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021;8:682924. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.682924
- Khedr A, Neupane B, Proskuriakova E, Jada K, Djossi SK, Mostafa JA. Pharmacologic management of coronary artery ectasia. Cureus 2021;13(9): e17832. https://doi. org/10.7759/cureus.1783
- Lee J, Ramkumar S, Khav N, Dundon BK. Coronary artery ectasia presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a young indigenous man: A case report. Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2020;4:1-5. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjcr/ytaa253
- Yan Q, Ning L, Jian Y, Yang W, Yuan Q, Du Z. Could the novel oral anticoagulants be used for coronary artery aneurysm? Case Rep Med. 2020;25:2020:5073814. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5073814
Authors' information:
Dadabaev Murat Khasanovich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery and Endovascular Surgery, Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I.K. Akhunbaev; Head of the Department of Endovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Methods, National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after Academician Mirsaid Mirrakhimov
Scopus ID: 6505797380
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5825-2866
Author ID: 3077667
E-mail: dadmed@mail.ru
Radzhapova Zulfiya Tulkunovna,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Therapy No. 2 Specialty “General Medicine”, Medical Faculty of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after the first President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin
Researcher ID: O-5138-2015
Scopus ID: 57191867631
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8255-0473
SPIN: 8789-1025
Author ID: 965378
E-mail: mztzmr@gmail.com
Murataliev Tulkun Muratalievich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Professor of the Department of Cardiac Surgery and Endovascular Surgery, Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I.K. Akhunbaev; Consulting Professor of the Department of Ischemic Heart Disease, National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after Academician Mirsaid Mirrakhimov
Researcher ID: R-2166-2017
Scopus ID: 6602708387
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2281-8199
SPIN: 7171-4904
Author: 389675
E-mail: murataliev@mail.ru
Otkeeva Zharkyn Akylbekovna,
Cardiologist of the Department of Ischemic Heart Disease, National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after Academician Mirsaid Mirrakhimov
ORCID ID: 0009-0001-0190-2351
SPIN: 9222-7033
E-mail: zh.otkeeva94@gmail.com
Information about support in the form of grants, equipment, medications
The authors did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment
Conflicts of interest: No conflict
Address for correspondence:
Radzhapova Zulfiya Tulkunovna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Therapy No. 2 Specialty “General Medicine”, Medical Faculty of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after the first President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin
720000, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Kiev str., 44
Tel.: +996 (559) 344660
E-mail: mztzmr@gmail.com
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Materials on the topic:
- THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CERTAIN PRO-ATHEROGENIC AND PRO-INFLAMMATORY MARKERS FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND RISK STRATIFICATION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED INDIVIDUALS
- DYSLIPIDEMIA AND SEVERITY OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME AND SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM
- PREVALENCE OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE AGE PATIENTS WITH RESISTANT ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION
- SOME FEATURES OF PERIPHERAL BLOOD COMPOSITION IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE AND ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION
- COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND RED BLOOD CELLS DISTRIBUTION WIDTH LEVELS IN SUBGROUPS DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF HYPERLIPIDEMIA ACCORDING TO LABORATORY REGISTRY DATA
- CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION IN LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS
- GENETIC ASPECTS OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN COMBINATION WITH NONCARDIAC DISEASES
- APPLICATION OF A TWO-STEP SCREENING SYSTEM IN COMPLEX EVALUATION OF PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY HEART DISEASE
- FEATURES OF REMODELLING OF THE LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIUM IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION OF ELDERLY AGE WITH COMORBID DEPRESSION
- TREATMENT OF CHRONIC HEART FAILURE IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN WITH DEPRESSION