1/1290. Bilateral subclavian steal syndrome through different paths and from different sites--a case report. Cases of cerebro-subclavian steal syndrome have been reported in the medical literature since 1960. This most often occurs on the left side because of the higher rate of involvement of the left subclavian artery in comparison to the other brachiocephalic branches of the aortic arch. With the use of the internal mammory artery as a conduit for coronary artery bypass, in the past three decades increasing numbers of coronary-subclavian steal in addition to the cerebro-subclavian steal have been observed. The authors report a case of bilateral subclavian steal syndrome through both vertebral arteries, the right common carotid artery, and the left internal mammory artery, without significant signs and symptoms of cerebral ischemia or anginal pain. ( info) |
| Vascular graft infection due to aspergillus is a rare event. Only 11 previous case reports have been documented. All of these infections were in the aortic position, and infrainguinal arterial prosthetic graft involvement has been uncommon. The usual clinical presentation was back pain. fever and systemic complaints were usually present. An unusual case that began with bilateral groin pain is reported and a review of the clinical presentation and the management of the other cases described in the literature is presented. ( info) |
3/1290. Endovascular stent graft repair of aortopulmonary fistula. Two patients who had aortopulmonary fistula of postoperative origin with hemoptysis underwent successful repair by means of an endovascular stent graft procedure. One patient had undergone repeated thoracotomies two times, and the other one time to repair anastomotic aneurysms of the descending aorta after surgery for Takayasu's arteritis. A self-expanding stainless steel stent covered with a Dacron graft was inserted into the lesion through the external iliac or femoral artery. The patients recovered well, with no signs of infection or recurrent hemoptysis 8 months after the procedure. Endovascular stent grafting may be a therapeutic option for treating patients with aortopulmonary fistula. ( info) |
4/1290. In situ repair of a secondary aortoappendiceal fistula with a rifampin-bonded Dacron graft. Secondary aortoenteric fistulas remain challenging diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Although the duodenum is most frequently involved, other intestinal segments are possible sites for fistulization. We report here a case of graft-appendiceal fistula revealed by recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding 11 years after abdominal aortic aneurysm replacement. The preoperative diagnosis was not achieved by endoscopy or imaging assessment. Despite recommended principles of total graft excision and extraanatomic bypass, appendectomy and in situ rifampin-bonded graft reconstruction were performed because of the advanced age and poor arterial runoff. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient remains well 17 months after operation. ( info) |
5/1290. Typical presentation of intramural aortic haemorrhage (IAH) with evidence of intimal tear at MRI and angiography. A typical appearance of IAH was evidenced by CT and TEE in a 56-year-old hypertensive female suspected of developping classical acute aortic dissection (AAD). Further examination with MRI and aortography showed unequivocally the presence of an intimal tear in the aortic arch. This coexistence of intimal tear has never been evidenced preoperatively in patients with IAH. This observation demonstrates at the outset that IAH is part of the spectrum of AAD. ( info) |
6/1290. Successful repair of an idiopathic spontaneous aortoduodenal fistula. A case of idiopathic spontaneous aortoduodenal fistula treated surgically is reported. This case is probably the first successful repair of an idiopathic fistula to be recorded in the literature. The difficulty in diagnosis and possible aetiology are discussed. ( info) |
7/1290. Observations on the treatment of dissection of the aorta. The results are presented of treatment in twenty-three patients with dissection of the thoracic aorta, in four of whom it was acute (less than 14 days' duration), and in nineteen chronic (more than 14 days' duration). Sixteen patients had Type I and II dissection (involving the ascending aorta) and five Type III (descending aorta at or distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery); in two, dissection complicated coarctation of the aorta in the usual site. Thirteen patients had aortic regurgitation. Three of the patients with acute dissection were treated medically; two, both with Type I dissection, died, and the third, with Type III, survived. The remaining acute patient was treated surgically and also died. Of the patients with chronic dissection, eight were treated medically and eleven surgically. None of the medical group died in hospital; three died between 3 months and 1 year, and five have survived from periods of 12-72 months. Eleven patients with chronic dissection were treated surgically; four died in hospital at or shortly after operation; and the remaining seven lived for periods of 12-84 months. The presentation, indications for surgical treatment and results are discussed. It is concluded that surgical treatment of chronic dissection may carry a higher initial mortality than medical, but that there may be slightly better overall long term results in the former. As this series was not selected randomly, because patients with complications were selected for surgery, and there are only a few patients in each group, the results do not permit firm conclusion regarding the relative merits of medical and surgical treatment. It is suggested that all patients should initially be treated medically but that surgical treatment should be considered if the dissection continues, if aortic regurgitation is severe, if an aneurysm develops or enlarges, if cardiac tamponade develops or there is evidence of progressive involvement of the branches of the aorta. attention is drawn to the important syndrome of chronic dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta with severe aortic regurgitation which requires definitive surgical treatment and aortic valve replacement. The importance of adequate visualization of the origin and extent of the dissection as a preliminary to surgical treatment is stressed. ( info) |
8/1290. Aorto-oesophageal fistula presenting as a submucosal oesophageal haematoma. The CT findings in a fatal case of aorto-oesophageal fistula secondary to an atheromatous plaque in the thoracic aorta are described. These features are correlated with findings on endoscopy and barium studies. ( info) |
9/1290. Aortobronchial fistula after coarctation repair and blunt chest trauma. A 34-year-old man had development of an aortobronchial fistula 17 years after patch aortoplasty for correction of aortic coarctation and 5 years after blunt chest trauma, an unusual combination of predisposing factors. The clinical presentation, characterized by dysphonia and recurrent hemoptysis, and the surgical findings suggested the posttraumatic origin of the fistula, which was successfully managed by aortic resection and graft interposition under simple aortic cross-clamping, associated with partial pulmonary lobectomy. When hemoptysis occurs in a patient with a history of an aortic thoracic procedure, the presence of an aortobronchial fistula should be suspected. early diagnosis offers the only possibility of recovery through a lifesaving surgical procedure. ( info) |
10/1290. Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer at the proximal aorta complicated with cardiac tamponade and aortic valve regurgitation. A 56-year-old man had a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer originating in the proximal ascending aorta, which is an unusual case of penetrating aortic ulcer complicated with the aortic valve regurgitation and cardiac tamponade. This hemodynamically unstable patient was successfully treated by conservative management to control his blood pressure and was also monitored closely with follow-up imaging studies. ( info) |