Blunt traumatic abdominal aortic rupture: CT imaging

Blunt abdominal aortic trauma is a rare but potentially lethal event. It is commonly associated with high-speed motor vehicle accidents. Intimal flap, thrombosis, and pseudoaneurysm of the abdominal aorta are the more common findings. We present a case of blunt abdominal aortic trauma in which CT disclosed free aortic rupture with intraabdominal bleeding and a huge retroperitoneal hematoma, an extremely rare finding among patients reaching the hospital alive, due to its high and immediate mortality rate.     

A case of acute abdominal aortic dissection caused by blunt trauma

We present the case of an 18-year-old man involved in a fall with blunt abdominal trauma. The patient had hypovolemic shock and findings of an acute abdomen. Initial computed tomography (CT) showed pulmonary contusion, pneumohemothorax, hemoperitoneum, hepatic contusion, right kidney laceration and vascular avulsion, rupture of the mesenteric vein, rupture of the right rectus muscle with bowel hernia, and infrarenal aortic dissection. There were no signs of limb or medullar ischemia. After hemodynamic stabilization and surgical repair of the associated lesions, the dissection was successfully treated with a self-expanding aortic Wallstent. Postprocedure CT showed a well-positioned patent stent and the patient was discharged asymptomatic. Percutaneous endovascular stent implantation is minimally invasive and seems to be a safe treatment for traumatic dissection of the abdominal aorta.     

腹主动脉瘤腔内隔绝术后神经缺血性损伤

目的：探讨在腹主动脉瘤（AAA）腔内隔绝术（EVE）中神经缺血性损伤的发生原因及防治。临床资料：我科在施行AAA EVE中遇到1例术后发生神经缺血性损伤。患者为Ⅱa型AAA，选用Talent分叉型移植物行EVE，手术顺利。术后出现双侧股部酸痛不适、乏力，伴右侧屈髋无力。行肌电图检查提示双侧腓总神经、胫神经、H反射传导速度均减慢，双侧股神经未能引出动作电位。给予甲钴胺0.5mg肌内注射，隔日1次，地巴唑10mg3次/d，并辅以高压氧治疗和股四头肌功能锻炼。治疗2个月后患者股部疼痛、乏力逐步缓解，无明显功能障碍。复查下肢肌电图无明显改善。结论：AAA EVE后可能会发生脊髓的缺血性损伤，但发生率很低，术中封闭腰动脉是导致脊髓缺血的原因。脊髓缺血性损伤早期治疗最为重要，后期的神经营养治疗和功能锻炼也可以改善部分症状。     

腔内隔绝术治疗腹主动脉瘤(附2例报告)

目的：探讨腔内隔绝术治疗腹主动脉瘤（AAA）的方法、疗效、并发症及存在的问题。方法：2例高龄、多病并存的AAA患者在全订及动脉造影的监控下，植入血管内支架－聚酯移植物复合体，对AAA进行腔内隔绝术。结果：术后定期复查彩超、CT及血管造影显示支架通畅，无移位、扭曲、支架外壁与瘤腔间充满血栓，未发现搏动的肠系膜下动脉及腰动脉，未发现渗漏。AAA外径无变化。患者腹部搏动性肿块消失。结论：腔内隔绝术治疗AAA避免了外科手术的各种缺点，具有简便、安全、疗效确定等优点。     

Fatal blunt pancreatic trauma secondary to assault and battery: a case report

The authors report on an fatal case of closed trauma of the pancreas in a context of violence. A 55-year-old man was found unconscious on the sidewalk and died a short time after being taken to the hospital. He had been hit with several punches to the face and abdomen 6 h before. The post-mortem examination showed numerous bruises over the whole body, a haemoperitoneum, a fissuration of the spleen and a massive peripancreatic haemorrhage associated with a complete dilaceration of the pancreas head. Histological examination of the pancreas revealed a massive necrosis associated with a subtotal disappearance of the acini, numerous sites of cytosteatonecrosis and a large haemorrhagic suffusion of the peripancreatic tissue. This case illustrates the possibilities of pancreatic injuries induced by blunt force aimed at the abdomen in a context of violence. Even if this occurs as an isolated injury it can result in rapid death because of the particular type of pancreatic fracture which is frequently involved. In post-mortem situations, the pancreas should be systematically checked at necropsy and a histological examination should be carried out at the slightest doubt of a pancreatic lesion or suspicion of blunt force abdominal injuries. Received: 17 December 2000 / Accepted: 15 May 2001     

Radiographic and clinical findings in unusual abdominal aortic aneurysms

Atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms typically present either asymptomatically or with abdominal or back pain. Inflammatory, mycotic, and traumatic aortic aneurysms and aneurysms complicated by venous fistula are less common. The different clinical presentations of these latter aneurysms should raise a suspicion to their diagnosis and appropriate preoperative evaluation. The radiographic and clinical features of inflammatory, mycotic, traumatic, and complicated atherosclerotic aneurysms are presented and discussed.     

Abdominal aortic injury in blunt abdominal trauma

Injury to the abdominal aorta secondary to blunt abdominal trauma is rare; less than 50 cases have been reported in the literature. This patient failed to demonstrate any of the classic acute signs or symptoms specific to the aortic injury, thus emphasizing the importance of a high index of suspicion in patients with the appropriate mechanism and location of injury and associated signs and symptoms.     

腹主动脉瘤腔内隔绝术中肱股导丝牵张技术的应用

目的　探讨肱股导丝牵张技术在腔内隔绝术 (EVE)治疗腹主动脉瘤 (AAA)中的操作要点和应用价值。方法　对本中心自 1997年 3月至 2 0 0 2年 10月间施行的 136例AAAEVE进行了回顾性研究。选用主体 单肢对接型移植物者 118例 (Vanguard 6例 ,Talent 86例 ,Aneurx 2例 ,Zenith 3例 ,国产 2 1例 )。使用肱股导丝牵张技术完成操作的共 12例。均使用 0 .0 38英寸的 2 6 0cm长泥鳅导丝经左肱动脉穿刺导入。结果　 12例采用肱股导丝牵张技术的手术全部实现移植物顺利导入、连接、释放 ,1例术后出现肱动脉血栓形成 ,1例出现左前臂内侧皮神经损伤 ,未发生左上肢及左侧椎动脉系统的血管并发症和其他切口并发症。其中 9例从手术开始即采用肱股导丝牵张技术 ,从移植物主体导鞘退出到短肢释放完成的时间为 5～ 11min ,平均 7.7min ,明显短于使用其他方法连接移植物短肢所消耗的时间。结论　对于瘤体直径 >6cm且与髂总动脉轴线成角 >4 5°、瘤颈扭曲 >30°或髂动脉扭曲 >4 5°、患者年龄超过 75岁合并一个以上重要脏器功能不全 ,不能耐受长时间手术的AAA患者 ,肱股导丝牵张技术有明显优势。     

MRI diagnosis of aortocaval fistula secondary to ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm

MRI was utilized to demonstrate the exact site of fistula between a ruptured saccular aneurysm of the infrarenal abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cava in a 64-year-old man.     

腹主动脉瘤腔内隔绝术中内漏动物模型的建立

目的：建立近似人体的腹主动脉瘤（AAA）腔内隔绝术（EVE）后内漏的实验动物模型。方法：采用6只犬 ，以牛颈静脉间置法或前壁补片的方法形成保留腰动脉的肾下型AAA，经髂动脉行AAA EVE，术中采用修剪人造血管和改变支架附着点的方法形成内漏。结果：血管造影示6只犬动脉瘤形态良好，5只犬形成了即时性内漏，内漏来自近端返流，也有近端返流。结论：通过移植物释放位置的变化可以模拟出与人体EVE后相似的即时性内漏，以供血流动力学和治疗研究。     

内漏对腹主动脉瘤腔内隔绝术后瘤腔内压力的影响

目的 探讨内漏状态下腹主动脉瘤(AAA)腔内隔绝术(EVE)后瘤腔内压力的变化。方法 通过建立犬AAA EVE后内漏模型，测定内漏存在前后瘤腔内压力的变化。结果 内漏状态下瘤腔内平均动脉压明显升高，而内漏封闭后压力显著下降，且曲线平直。结论 瘤腔内压力曲线可作为评估EVE后瘤壁所受负荷的变化，也可作为判断内漏存在的方法之一。     

Complete ten-year follow-up after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: survival and causes of death

Purpose

To analyze the hazard and causes of death after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms during a complete ten year follow-up.

Methods

This is a retrospective clinical study of 130 consecutive patients undergoing EVAR between 1995 and 1998. One-hundred twenty-one patients (93.1%) were treated with first-generation stentgrafts and nine patients (6.9%) received second-generation devices. All patients completed a follow-up of at least 10 years, unless death occurred before then. Time and causes of death were provided by the Austrian central register of deaths.

Results

The median follow-up was 7.6 years, and the 130 patients had 968.5 person-years of follow-up. The ten-year mortality rate was 62.3%. Cardiovascular events were the most frequent causes of death, with a 3.9 incidence rate per 100 person-years. Cancer death and death due to other causes occurred in 2.1 and 1.8 cases per 100 person-years, respectively. Lethal late aneurysm rupture happened in 4.6% (n = 6), which corresponds to an annual incidence rate of 0.6 per 100 person-years. All of those patients had been treated with first-generation devices.

Conclusions

Cardiovascular events were the most frequent cause of death after EVAR, followed by malignancy and other diseases. The risk of dying from secondary rupture was clearly lower than that of death due to other reasons during ten years after EVAR, even in patients with first-generation stentgrafts.     

Aortic volume as an indicator of disease progression in patients with untreated infrarenal abdominal aneurysm

Objective

The maximal diameter of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and the change in diameter over time reflect rupture risk and are used for surgical planning. However, evidence has emerged that aneurysm volume may be a better indicator of AAA remodeling. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the volume and maximal diameter of the abdominal aorta in patients with untreated infrarenal AAA.

Materials and methods

This was a retrospective study of 100 patients with infrarenal AAA who were followed for more than 6 months. We examined 2 sets of computed tomography images for each patient, acquired ≥6 months apart. The maximal diameter and volume of the infrarenal abdominal aorta were determined by semiautomated segmentation software.

Results

At baseline, mean maximal infrarenal diameter was 5.1 ± 1.0 cm and mean aortic volume was 139 ± 72 mL. There was good correlation between the maximal diameter and aortic volume at baseline (r² = 0.55; P < 0.001). The mean change in maximal diameter between studies was 0.2 ± 0.3 cm and the mean volume change was 19 ± 19 mL. However, the correlation between diameter change and volume change was modest (r² = 0.34; P = 0.001). Most patients (n = 64) had no measurable change in maximal diameter between studies (≤2 mm), but the change in volume was found to vary widely (−2 to 69 mL).

Conclusion

In patients with untreated infrarenal AAA, a change in aortic volume can occur in the absence of a significant change in maximal diameter. Additional work is needed to examine the relationship between change in AAA volume and outcomes in this patient group.     

Blunt thoracic aortic injury in children

Thoracic aortic injury (TAI) in children secondary to blunt chest trauma is rare and less well documented than TAI in adults. To further establishe the incidence and radiographic manifestations of this severe injury, we reviewed our experimence with TAI in children over an 8-year period. We performed a computer search from the Trauma Registry at our level I trauma center for all cases of TAI among patients 16 years of age or younger who were admitted after sustaining blunt chest trauma between August 1984 and September 1992. We reviewed our records of all thoracic aortograms performed on children for blunt trauma during this same time period. Indication for angiography was determined by review of chest radiographs and medical records of all patients who underwent thoracic aortography. We reviewed medical records and all available chest radiographs, computed tomography (CT) examinations, and thoracic aortograms of children diagnosed with TAI. Of 308 children admitted with blunt chest trauma, 26 (8.4%) underwent angiography to exclude aortic or great vessel injury. Of these 26 patients, three (11.5%) were diagnosed with TAI, and one patient demonstrated a traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the proximal left subclavian artery. The incidence of TAI among children who sustained blunt chest trauma was 1.0% in our series. All three patients with TAI in our series were male, ages 10–12 (mean: 11 years). Chest radiographs on two of the patients with TAI revealed mediastinal widening, ill-defined aortic outline, shift of the trachea and nasogastric tube, and depression of the left main stem bronchus. The chest radiograph in one patient with TAI was technically inadequate. CT demonstrated abnormalities in two patients. Angiographic findings were similar to those seen in adults. TAI in children is rare, occurring in 1% of children sustaining blunt chest trauma in our series. Our findings support previous reports that the plain film, CT, and angiographic findings with this injury resemble those found in adults.     

多层螺旋CT诊断主动脉瘤的价值探讨

目的:探讨多层螺旋CT及后处理技术诊断主动脉瘤的价值。方法:使用美国GElightspeed QX/I型多层螺旋CT(MSCT)对疑有或有主动脉疾病的21例患者行轴位容积扫描,扫描条件:120 kV、300 mA,5 mm准直,7.5 mm/sec进床速度,HQ或HS扫描模式。重建层厚2.5 mm,重建间隔1.25 mm。用MEDRAD ENVISION高压注射器,经静脉团注非离子型造影剂100 ml,注射流率为2.8-3.5 ml/s。将横断面图像传至GE advantagewindows 4.0工作站进行二维和三维重建,包括多平面重建(MPR)、最大密度投影(MIP)、表面遮盖法重建(SSD)、容积再现(VR)、CT、仿真内窥镜重建(CTVE)及电影分析成像。结果:21例中主动脉瘤6例,主动脉夹层13例,其中Ⅰ型4例,Ⅱ型1例,Ⅲ型8例,马凡氏综合征2例。13例主动脉夹层在轴位图像均可见高密度的真腔和假腔,真腔小而密度略高于假腔,真假两腔之间的低密度弧型影为撕破的内膜。MIP、CTVE重建发现6例主动脉夹层破口,附壁血栓6例,发现主动脉外壁溃疡破口2例,主动脉内膜钙化并内移>5 mm7例。结论:MSCT成像技术作为一种非创伤性的血管成像方法,具有安全、可靠的优越性。     

Salmonella spondylodiscitis associated with a mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm and paravertebral abscess

Each year, 1.4 million people in the United States are infected with Salmonella (Beneson et al. [23] Am J Med, 110:60–63, 2001). The most common clinical presentation of Salmonella infection is gastroenteritis which is usually self-limited, lasting between one to four days (Black et al. [24] N Engl J Med, 261:811–816, 1960). Although most infections are mild-to-moderate, serious disease, and death does occur (Voetsch et al. [25] CID, 38:S127–S132, 2004). A rare but increasing number of patients present with Salmonellosis spondylodiscitis resulting from contiguous spread of infection from the adjacent abdominal aorta. Concurrent infection of these structures exacerbates morbidity, necessitating an elevated clinical suspicion in patients with appropriate risk factors, clinical signs and symptoms. Furthermore, an overall mortality rate of 67% makes mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysms highly lethal (Gonda et al. [26] Radiology, 168:343–346, 1988). Thus, early diagnosis is crucial, allowing for prompt antibiotic and surgical management. Laboratory and imaging tests obtained at the initial suspicion for infection of the spine and aorta facilitates diagnosis while minimizing or preventing more serious complications like paresis and aortic rupture. We present a patient with a mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm infected with Salmonella enteritides that spread to the adjacent lumbar vertebra and left psoas muscle.     

Functional pneumectomy by a saccular aneurysm of the aortic root

This case report describes a patient with severe stenosis of the right pulmonary artery due to an expanding arteriosclerotic aneurysm of the ascending aorta. The clinical data and the lung perfusion ventilation scintigrams supported the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, and initially the patient was treated accordingly.     

Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with long-term steroid therapy – A case report

We report an autopsy case of bronchial asthma patient with a specific abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm did not show arteriosclerosis, and a specific saccular morphology was noted above the bifurcation. Histologically, necrosis of the media resembling acute aortic dissociation was observed. However, angiitis was ruled out. In addition, the aneurysm showed a cicatrized, old intimal crack in addition to the rupture site, suggesting repeated failures. The long-term steroid therapy-related fragility of the arterial wall may have been involved in the etiology of the aneurysm.     

主动脉瘤腔内修复术一期治愈Stanford A型主动脉夹层并腹主动脉瘤一例

Stanford A型主动脉夹层是一种灾难性疾病,病死率极高[1]。治疗主要以手术为主,即升主动脉或主动脉弓置换术,但手术创伤大,手术病死率达14%～21.6%[2]。自1991年     

Traumatic intercostal artery pseudoaneurysm following a bicycle accident

In this article we present a fatal case of a ruptured intercostal artery pseudoaneurysm that occurred a number of years after an incident in which the patient suffered a blunt-trauma injury. A long interval between blunt trauma and this type of fatality has rarely been reported. This case discusses a 49-year-old woman who was found dead at her home by her husband and was referred for autopsy because the cause of death was uncertain. Her past medical history was unknown; however, it was learned that she had a bicycle accident 4 years previously and had sustained injuries to the left side of her body. During the autopsy, healed fractures in the bones of the left lower rib cage and a large amount of blood in the left thorax were observed. Furthermore, a hematoma, containing a small rupture was found in the left tenth intercostal space adjacent to the thoracic vertebrae. Histological examinations showed that the wall of the left tenth intercostal artery was ruptured, with recent blood clots including fibrin. Additionally, in the lesion where the tunica adventitia was disrupted, the dissecting cavity was filled with blood. We concluded that the woman died of hemorrhagic shock resulting from a ruptured intercostal artery pseudoaneurysm that formed as a result of the injury incurred from the bicycle accident 4 years before.