A 79-year-old man was referred for urgent coronary artery bypass grafting. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed an atypically nose-shaped contrast defect, which intraoperatively turned out to be an atheromatous plaque. Its preoperative detection allowed us to prevent an adverse cerebral event. This case highlights that a thorough preoperative work-up should ideally include a CT angiography, in patients where atherosclerotic changes are to be expected.
Keywords: atherosclerosis; contrast-enhanced computed tomography; coronary artery bypass grafting; preoperative work-up.
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Cardiac Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.