Project description:BackgroundAscending aortic pseudoaneurysms (AAPs) are an unusual complication of cardiac or aortic surgery and are associated with a high risk of complications and mortality. Guidelines recommend surgical repair. There is few data concerning percutaneous occlusion of AAP. We present a case of syncope due to vascular and heart chamber compression by a large post-surgical AAP that was filled through a focal leak. Ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm was successfully occluded percutaneously.Case summaryA 66-year-old man with a mechanical aortic prosthesis and a Dacron tube in the ascending aorta presented with syncope due to compression of the right atrium and superior vena cava by a large peritube collection. A computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed a large AAP that was filled through a small focal dehiscence of the tube proximal suture. Patient was dismissed for surgery due to high surgical risk. Then, AAP was successfully occluded percutaneously via a 6-French radial access and local anaesthesia.DiscussionIn patients with syncope and previous cardiac surgery, aortic complications should be ruled out. Although transthoracic echocardiography may be useful, CTA is the recommended diagnostic test for ruling out post-surgical AAP and allows the characterization of the number, localization, and size of the leaks. In selected patients with high surgical risk and favourable anatomic characteristics, a percutaneous closure could be indicated.
Project description:A patient with recurrent sepsis caused by an infected ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm was deemed unsuitable for surgery after the heart team evaluation. He successfully underwent percutaneous treatment with a combination of a septal occlusion device and coil embolization and remained free of sepsis 24 months after implantation.
Project description:A 59-year-old man received an incidental diagnosis of a 5-cm right para-aortic mass that was initially thought to be of venous origin. Multimodality imaging revealed a right bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm that was treated with endovascular embolization. Bronchial artery pseudoaneurysms are extremely rare and can be fatal if ruptured. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
Project description:Treatment of ascending aorta disease is surgical; however, some series have evaluated the effectiveness of endovascular treatment. We report the case of a patient with a ruptured pseudoaneurysm who underwent endovascular repair via the left common carotid artery. The clinical and neurological evolution was satisfactory during the in-hospital follow-up. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Project description:Aortic pseudoaneurysm is a rare, life-threatening complication after cardiac or aortic root surgery. When a pseudoaneurysm has eroded bony structures in the chest, the surgeon's challenge is to choose the safest approach for sternotomy. Herein, we report the case of a 74-year-old woman who presented with a giant pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta, 8 years after undergoing aortic valve replacement. The 8.9×5.8-cm formation arose in the anterior aortic sinus, extended to the retrosternal region, exerted mass effect on the main pulmonary artery, and eroded the bony structures of the sternum and medial upper chest. A new aortic valved tissue conduit was placed, and the coronary arteries were reimplanted. The patient recovered without neurologic sequelae. We discuss the characteristics of this case and explain our surgical decisions.
Project description:We present a case series of 4 iatrogenic ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms that were all successfully repaired with a percutaneous approach. Pre-procedural imaging, device selection, and procedural techniques are described. With careful preparation and patient selection, catheter closure of iatrogenic ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms can be performed reliably and safely. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
Project description:Gelatinous foam (GelFoam, Pfizer, Inc, New York, NY) is a low cost, readily available material with a wide range of procedural applications. A novel implementation during computed tomography (CT) guided percutaneous lung biopsy to reduce the rates of pneumothorax leading to further intervention with chest tube placement. We present the imaging and outcome of a patient undergoing this procedure in a community hospital setting.
Project description:We present the case of a 59-year-old male who sustained an ascending aortic injury and a subdural hematoma after a head on collision. After undergoing emergent craniotomy for evacuation of the subdural hematoma, he was maintained with strict blood pressure control. Once able to be safely anticoagulated, he underwent replacement of the ascending aorta. This exceedingly rare case was managed by a multidisciplinary team approach that led to an optimal outcome given his disastrous multi-traumatic injuries.