Severe obstruction of the left main coronary artery by mycotic aortic psuedoaneurysm following orthotopic heart transplantation.

Mycotic aneurysm of the ascending aorta is a rare complication following orthotopic heart transplantation. This article describes a case of mycotic pseudoaneurysm caused by Candida albicans that developed shortly after orthotopic heart transplantation. The pseudoaneurysm compressed the left main coronary artery, which led to the development of congestive heart failure symptoms mimicking sub-acute transplant rejection. The heart failure signs and symptoms resolved completely with resection of the aneurysm. This case reiterates that early diagnosis and complete resection of the aneurysm is associated with good prognosis.     

Acute cholecystitis preceding mycotic aortic pseudoaneurysm in a heart transplant recipient

Mycotic pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). This case describes a middle-aged OHT recipient who developed a mycotic pseudoaneurysm after an episode of acute cholecystitis. The region of involved aorta was effectively repaired using a patch of bovine pericardium and a brief period of hypothermic circulatory arrest.     

Repair of mycotic aortic pseudoaneurysm with a stent graft using transesophageal echocardiography

A 54-year-old man who underwent uneventful orthotopic heart transplantation 1 year previously had low-grade fever and dyspnea. Imaging studies revealed an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm (AAP), which was repaired with a 5-mm polyester patch, with circulatory arrest and cardiopulmonary bypass. Intraoperative cultures of the AAP grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and the pseudoaneurysm recurred after 6 weeks despite intravenously administered antibiotic therapy. A 28.5-mm x 3.3-cm Gore Excluder aortic cuff was deployed in the ascending aorta through a left axillary artery cutdown with use of combined transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy. In addition, controlled hypotension and asystole were established with administration of adenosine to facilitate precise device deployment. Postoperative imaging with transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance angiography revealed complete resolution of the AAP, and the patient had done well at 7-month follow-up. Treatment of a mycotic aortic pseudoaneurysm with an endoprosthesis in a patient without other treatment alternatives can be performed safely, with acceptable short-term results.     

Aortoplasty with a bovine venous xenograft for pseudoaneurysm after heart transplantation

The case was a 54-year-old man after orthotopic heart transplantation with infected pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta. The operation was performed with hypothermic circulatory arrest. Pseudoaneurysm was excised and aortoplasty was performed with a bovine venous xenograft patch. Six months after the operation, and 2 years after transplantation, the patient is doing well.     

Intermittent circulatory arrest for repairing postoperative mycotic pseudoaneurysm in the ascending aorta

Postoperative mycotic pseudoaneurysm in the ascending aorta associated with mediastinitis is one of the most serious complications after cardiovascular surgery. Circulatory arrest is usually needed for repairing this lesion; it is likely that the procedure needs unpredictably prolonged arrest time due to uncontrollable bleeding or serious adhesion. With this reason we employed intermittent circulatory arrest instead. The purpose of this paper is to describe 2 cases which demonstrated the method of intermittent circulatory arrest for repairing postoperative mycotic pseudoaneurysm in the ascending aorta.     

Pseudoaneurysm after heart transplantation with history of LVAD driveline infection

An infective complication of the aorta is a potential cause of early and late mortality after heart transplantation. We report the case of a 21-year-old male cardiac transplant patient in whom a pseudoaneurysm of the recipient site of ascending aorta coincided with the site of the outflow prosthesis of a preexisting left ventricular assist device; this condition developed 9 months after transplantation.     

Surgical repair of candida mycotic pseudoaneurysm with extensive vegetations of the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery after heart and kidney transplant

We report a case of invasive candidiasis causing a mycotic pseudoaneurysm involving the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery. The patient presented two years after heart-kidney transplant with acute limb ischemia resulting from embolization of fungal vegetations. Operative findings included a pseudoaneurysm resulting from near-complete dehiscence of the aortic suture line, and large vegetations within the ascending aorta extended to the aortic arch and pulmonary artery, with localized dehiscence of the pulmonic suture line. The ascending aorta was replaced, and the pulmonary artery was repaired with bovine pericardium. The patient did well, and blood cultures were negative at 6 months follow-up.     

Mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta after mediastinitis in an infant.

Mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the aorta is a rare disease in children. We report our experience with a postoperative mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta secondary to mediastinitis after a modified Fontan procedure. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully repaired using an autologous pericardial patch through a right thoracotomy under total circulatory arrest. During 6 months of postoperative follow-up, there were no recurrences of pseudoaneurysm formation.     

Intra-arterial thrombin injection of an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm complicated by transient ischemic attack and rescued with systemic abciximab.

Thrombin injection as a means of inducing thrombus formation has recently received wide attention as an alternative treatment for pseudoaneurysm. We present a case of a 67-year-old man in whom a large mycotic pseudoaneurysm developed in the ascending aorta because of sternal osteomyelitis and mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting. Transcatheter intra-arterial thrombin injection was performed, and it successfully induced pseudoaneurysm thrombosis. However, the procedure was complicated by a sudden transient ischemic attack caused by thrombus propagation into the cerebral circulation. Complete thrombus dissolution in the cerebral circulation with the resolution of neurologic symptoms was achieved by means of intravenous abciximab.     

Thoracic and cardiovascular interventions after orthotopic heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcome of orthotopic heart transplantation is limited by the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, rejection, infection, and malignancy. METHODS: After heart transplantation, we treated patients with thoracic and cardiovascular diseases: preexisting coronary artery sclerosis in 2 patients, cardiac allograft vasculopathy in 19, valvular disease in 3, mycotic ascending aortic aneurysm in 2, superior vena cava stenosis in 2, and lung neoplasm in 10 patients. RESULTS: We successfully performed coronary artery bypass grafting for preexisting coronary artery sclerosis, valve replacement for valvular disease, and patch enlargement for superior vena cava stenosis. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for cardiac allograft vasculopathy achieved excellent initial results, but the incidence of restenosis was high (67%). One patient who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting for cardiac allograft vasculopathy died immediately after operation. Graft replacement was performed for mycotic aortic aneurysm, but 1 patient required reoperation because of recurrent aneurysm. The long-term survival rate in patients undergoing surgical resection for lung neoplasm was poor (50%). CONCLUSIONS: The need for thoracic and cardiovascular interventions in patients after heart transplantation was low (4.7%). Use of the appropriate procedures can improve the long-term survival after heart transplantation.     

Aortic complications after pediatric cardiac transplantation in patients with a previous Norwood reconstruction

Despite increasing surgical success with staged palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome and its variants, some of these children eventually may require cardiac transplantation. Sixteen (7.8%) of 206 children ≤18 years old undergoing primary heart transplantation had a previous Norwood palliation. Two (12.5%) developed significant aortic problems after transplantation related to the initial homograft reconstruction of the aorta. Patient 1 developed acute graft failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenator support post-transplant. During acute retransplantation 2 days later, the new donor aorta was sewn to a remnant of the initial donor aorta rather than to the heavily calcified reconstructed native aorta. Two months later, the patient required reoperation for acute airway compression from an aortic pseudoaneurysm caused by necrosis of the bridge of aortic tissue from the first transplant. Patient 2 had multiple balloon dilatations of recurrent coarctation after transplantation. Eighteen years post-transplant, during work-up for chronic fever and weight loss, computerized tomography showed a mycotic aneurysm of the reconstructed transverse aorta with contained rupture necessitating removal and replacement of the entire reconstructed aorta. Although uncommon, aortic complications in pediatric heart transplant patients with previous Norwood arch reconstruction can present with unusual manifestations requiring heightened vigilance.     

Valve-sparing repair after aortic root dissection following heart transplantation.

We describe the case of a 56-year-old male who presented with a Stanford type A dissection limited to the donor aorta 25 days after orthotopic heart transplantation. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a newly developed aortic regurgitation grade III and a typical intimal tear 1 cm above the commissures. Surgical therapy included replacement of the ascending aorta with an aortic allograft and implantation of the native aortic valve inside the allograft as a modified David procedure.     

Orthotopic Heart Transplant with Concurrent Supracoronary Ascending Aortic Replacement

BackgroundWe report a case of successful orthotopic heart transplant with concurrent supracoronary ascending aortic replacement (SCAAR) using a vascular conduit.Case PresentationAn orthotopic heart transplant was performed on a 29-year-old White man with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and reduced ejection fraction (20%).During the revision of the donor heart, a wall defect was detected in the ascending part of the donor aorta that could not be corrected.It was decided to perform a SCAAR using a 22-mm polytetrafluoroethylene vascular conduit and double-patch sandwich technique with Teflon patches.Two months later postoperative computed topography scan demonstrated sufficient patency of the vascular conduit and aorta with an improvement in the general somatic and functional state of the patient, and normal systolic and diastolic function of the transplanted heart.ConclusionsOur clinical case is unique in the complexity of the procedure with potential high intraoperative and early postoperative risks as well as the fact that SCAAR was performed immediately after heart transplant.In this clinical case, reconstruction of the ascending aorta with a vascular conduit is a strategically correct solution in the event of aortic defects that cannot be corrected with a suture technique.     

Cellular allograft rejection affecting the donor aorta after combined heart-lung transplantation

BACKGROUND: Infectious pseudoaneurysms of the ascending aorta are a recognized major complication after heart-lung transplantation. METHOD: This report describes an unusual and previously unreported complication, that of cellular allograft rejection, which caused a pseudoaneurysm of the donor's ascending aorta in a patient who underwent combined heart-lung transplantation. Repair was performed by primary suture after mobilization of the aortic segments. RESULT: On histological examination the resected aneurysm showed evidence of proliferative vasculitis with perivascular infiltration of the vasa vasorum by mononuclear cells. The mononuclear cells were identified as CD4+ and CD8+ by immunohistological staining. CONCLUSIONS: This report shows that cellular allograft rejection may affect the donor aorta after heart-lung transplantation and may result in pseudoaneurysm formation, even under triple-drug immunosuppression after ABO-compatible allograft transplantation.     

Successful surgical repair of a false aneurysm of the ascending aorta following orthotopic cardiac transplantation: a case report

A 54-year-old male underwent orthotopic heart transplantation for valvular heart and developed a false aneurysm of the ascending aorta at the aortic suture line posteriorly 20 months after transplantation. This was successfully repaired using a patch of glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium. At the time of surgical repair there was no evidence of infection or atherosclerosis.     

Aneurysm of the ascending aorta after cardiac transplantation.

We report the case of a 57-year-old female cardiac transplant patient in whom an aneurysm of the recipient side of the ascending aorta developed 1 year after transplantation. Although a mycotic origin was the likely cause, histologic examination diagnosed an atherosclerotic aneurysm.     

Tuberculous pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta associated with intracranial tuberculoma.

A tuberculous aneurysm is rare and fatal because it may lead to a rupture due to the forming of a pseudoaneurysm. A lesion is especially uncommon in the ascending aorta. We report an unusual case of tuberculous pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta which developed 7 months after the onset of multiple intracranial tuberculoma in a 59-year-old man. He was treated for multiple intracranial tuberculomas in another hospital because of headache and left homonymous hemianopia. The temporal intracranial tuberculomas were reduced after antituberculous drug administration. However, they enlarged again shortly thereafter. At that time, a pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta was found, so he was introduced to our department. Intensive antituberculous drugs were administered perioperatively and postoperatively. The intracranial tuberculoma was reduced preoperatively. After that, the ascending aorta was successfully replaced with a Dacron graft. A hole was noted in the back of the ascending aorta. Three years after the operation, no symptoms of recurrence have been recognized. A tuberculous pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta may easily cause systemic tuberculosis or rupture, therefore it should be treated as early as possible.     

Aortopulmonary Artery Fistula in Atherosclerotic Pseudoaneurysm Presenting with Congestive Heart Failure after Aortic Valve Replacement

An exceptional case of a giant pseudoaneurysm of the atherosclerotic ascending aorta complicated by aor-topulmonary fistulization twelve years after aortic valve replacement is presented. The patient underwent successful surgical repair. In patients with a marked atherosclerotic thoracic aorta presenting with congestive heart failure and an acquired continuous systolo-diastolic murmur, aortopulmonary fistula should be considered and differentiated from ruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm. Multi-slice computed tomography was the most useful diagnostic tool in planning surgical strategy and approach. Surgery is the treatment of choice for this serious albeit rare entity.     

Aortopulmonary artery fistula in atherosclerotic pseudoaneurysm presenting with congestive heart failure after aortic valve replacement

An exceptional case of a giant pseudoaneurysm of the atherosclerotic ascending aorta complicated by aortopulmonary fistulization twelve years after aortic valve replacement is presented. The patient underwent successful surgical repair. In patients with a marked atherosclerotic thoracic aorta presenting with congestive heart failure and an acquired continuous systolo-diastolic murmur, aortopulmonary fistula should be considered and differentiated from ruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm. Multi-slice computed tomography was the most useful diagnostic tool in planning surgical strategy and approach. Surgery is the treatment of choice for this serious albeit rare entity.     

Cardiac transplantation and simultaneous surgical repair of an aortic aneurysm.

Simultaneous cardiac transplantation and surgical repair of an aortic aneurysm has not been reported previously. At our institution, a 59-year-old patient with an aneurysm of the ascending aorta and aortic arch required orthotopic cardiac transplantation for end-stage cardiomyopathy. He underwent successful surgical replacement of his ascending aorta and transverse arch (in circulatory arrest and deep hypothermia) at the time of heart transplantation.