Aorto-cardiac fistula is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. We herein report a rare case of chronic aorto-right ventricular fistula formation secondary to a stab penetrating injury to the heart and aorta occurred 15 years ago. The aorto-right ventricular fistula was not found until 15 years after the incident. The fistula had been repaired successfully to prevent further deterioration of cardiac function. Here, we report the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment strategies of the aorto-right ventricular fistula, and discuss the possible etiology of the development of the fistula after the penetrating injury.
Keywords: aorto-right ventricular fistula; chronic fistula; penetrating cardiac injury.
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