Spontaneous healing of posttraumatic focal coronary aneurysm: A case report

Abstract We report on the spontaneous healing of a posttraumatic focal coronary aneurysm in a previously healthy 61-year-old man after his involvement in a motor vehicle accident, resulting in blunt chest trauma that injured the anterior wall of his left ventricle. Left-sided cardiac catheterization and selective coronary angiography 1 month after the accident showed an aneurysm in the proximal part of the left anterior descending artery, and normal coronary arteries otherwise. Intravascular ultrasound revealed that the lesion was a pseudoaneurysm protruding toward the myocardium. Surgical removal of the aneurysm was not considered, and the patient was discharged after 2 months of uneventful hospitalization. Follow-up coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound at 3 months and 1 year after the accident showed a total regression of the aneurysm. The patient has remained asymptomatic, with no residual ischemia 3 years after the accident. This case indicates that careful conservative treatment is a therapeutic option for posttraumatic coronary pseudoaneurysms.