Aortopulmonary fistula in pseudoaneurysm after ascending aortic surgery

A rare case report of an acquired aortopulmonary artery fistula after Bentall procedure: multimodality imaging approach may be the key?

Background

The acquired communication between the aorta and the pulmonary artery is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. Its diagnosis is challenging and may require a multimodality imaging approach.

Case summary

A 67-year-old Caucasian man, admitted for acute respiratory failure unresponsive to medical therapy and non-invasive ventilation, was diagnosed with an aortopulmonary fistula (APF) complicating a pseudoaneurysm of the aortic root. This condition developed after Bentall cardiac surgery, which entailed the use of a straight Dacron aortic graft coupled with a mechanical prosthesis. A multimodal imaging approach, combining echocardiography and computed tomography angiography, was diagnostic and supported the development of a surgical treatment strategy. The patient underwent successful surgical closure of the APF and correction of the aortic pseudoaneurysm.

Discussion

Aortopulmonary fistula can result in rapid clinical deterioration if left untreated. The combination of echocardiography and computed tomography angiography techniques allowed for the diagnosis and surgical correction of the APF.

Early Obliterated Cabrol Shunt: Culprit of Aortopulmonary Fistula in Large Pseudoaneurysm after Bentall Procedure

Aortopulmonary fistula secondary to a large pseudoaneurysm after a Bentall procedure is a rare but complex complication. Herein, we report a case of Cabrol shunt obliteration and pseudoaneurysm formation three months after a Bentall procedure. The patient also presented with congestive heart failure due to an aortopulmonary fistula six years later. Surgery was successfully performed to repair the dehiscence of the biliteral coronary ostia and the aortopulmonary fistula, and to replace the ascending aorta. Postoperatively, the patient recovered uneventfully.

Post-traumatic Aortopulmonary Fistula after Bentall Procedure

Pseudoaneurysm complicated by aortopulmonary fistula (APF) after a Bentall procedure is extremely rare but potentially fatal, so timely diagnosis and treatment are critical. We present a subacute case of a post-traumatic APF which has had initial aspecific symptoms and later an acute worsening heart failure with chest pain not responding to medical treatment and requiring emergency surgery.

Repeat surgical intervention after aortic repair for acute Stanford type A dissection

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of repeat interventions on the aorta and aortic valve after surgery for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection.

METHODS

The hospital records of patients who underwent repeat surgical intervention between April 2011 and March 2017 for late complications after acute type A aortic dissection repair were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

We identified 17 patients with mean age of 62 ± 8 years; 13 were men. The mean interval from the initial emergency aortic repair to the repeat intervention was 5.8 ± 5.4 years (range 133 days-16.6 years). Ten patients had dilatation or rupture of the residual type B aortic dissection; six of them had retrograde type A aortic dissection at the onset and did not undergo resection of the primary entry. Five patients had a pseudoaneurysm at the anastomosis; four of them were receiving anticoagulation medication. Three patients had aortic regurgitation; two of them were associated with the gelatin-resorcinol-formaldehyde glue that was used during the initial surgery. There was no early mortality after repeat intervention and no late death after a mean follow-up period of 3.3 ± 2.0 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Repeat surgical intervention on the aorta and aortic valve after repair of acute type A aortic dissection had favorable early and mid-term outcomes and was not associated with early or late death. Long-term follow-up with imaging and echocardiography was considered to be essential for early detection of residual type B dilatation, anastomotic pseudoaneurysm, and aortic regurgitation after initial aortic repair.

Treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta in association with aortopulmonary fistula following acute Type A dissection

This report describes a rare case of aortic pseudoaneurysm with an aortopulmonary fistula in a 69-year-old woman two years following repair of a Type A aortic dissection. The patient presented with NYHA Class IV symptoms having deteriorated rapidly over a course of six weeks. We describe our successful surgical repair following a failed attempt of percutaneous closure with an atrial septal occlusion device.

Pseudoaneurysm fistulized into pulmonary artery 13 years after aortic surgery

Pseudoaneurysm formation some years after aortic root or ascending aorta surgery, complicated by fistula formation through a branch of the pulmonary artery, is a rare condition described only in case reports. We describe a case of this rare complication in a 58-year-old man, which occurred 13 years after aortic surgery and was characterized by a huge pseudoaneurysm of 70 mm that fistulized into the right pulmonary artery, causing a life-threatening situation.

Two- and three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in the assessment of aortic arch vasum vasi to pulmonary artery fistula

We report an elderly patient presenting with a stroke and also hemolytic anemia secondary to mitral and tricuspid valve repair 3 years earlier, in whom two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) suspected a fistula into the pulmonary artery (APAF) from the posterior wall of the aortic arch. For further assessment, two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE) and live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) were performed. 2DTTE showed findings similar to 2DTEE. Color Doppler guided continuous-wave Doppler showed continuous flow throughout the cardiac cycle with systolic preponderance across the fistula with a small peak pressure gradient of 22 mmHg. Sequential systematic cropping of the 3D datasets obtained from 3DTTE confirmed that the flow signals originated from the posterior wall of the aortic arch and not the lumen. Thus, 3DTTE served to increase the confidence level that the fistula most likely originated from a vasum vasi in the wall of the aortic arch. To our knowledge, this type of fistula has not been reported previously. Fistulas from the aortic lumen to the pulmonary artery are also rare and so far only 24 cases have been reported in the literature. These are also reviewed by us.

Aorto-pulmonary fistula as a late complication of multiple valve replacement after Streptococcus Bovis endocarditis in a patient with occult colon carcinoma

We report a case of aorto-pulmonary fistula following multiple valve surgery in a patient with colon carcinoma who had had recurrent episodes of Streptococcus Bovis endocarditis. Diagnosis was made by transesophageal echocardiography and aortography. Patient underwent emergency percutaneous implantation of an aortic endoprosthesis, but he continued to deteriorate and the fatal outcome could not be changed. This case underscores the importance of examination of gastrointestinal tract in patients with Streptococcus Bovis endocarditis.

Surgical treatment of pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta

OBJECTIVES

To examine the clinical profiles, operative outcomes, and late results of patients with pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta.

METHODS

From 1990 to 2002, 60 patients underwent repair of aortic pseudoaneurysm: ascending aorta in 70%, ascending aorta and arch in 15%, descending aorta in 10%, and arch alone in 5%. Mean age was 53 +/- 15 years, and 70% were men. Of these, 50 (83%) had undergone previous cardiac surgery, including 22 (37%) composite valve graft operations. The preferred cannulation site was femoral-femoral (n = 27, 45%), with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in 62% and retrograde cerebral perfusion in 33%; more recently, however, axillary cannulation has been preferred.

RESULTS

Principal etiologies were graft infection in ascending aorta pseudoaneurysm and trauma in descending aorta pseudoaneurysm. Fifteen patients (25%) presented with chest pain, 13 (22%) with heart failure, and 20% with moderate or severe aortic regurgitation. The pseudoaneurysm was resected and the aorta replaced (n = 45, 75%) or repaired (n = 15, 25%) using various methods. Hospital mortality was 6.7% (n = 4). Reexploration for bleeding was required in 8.3%, and 3.3% had postoperative stroke. At 30 days, 5 years, and 10 years, survival was 94%, 74%, and 60% and freedom from reoperation was 95%, 77%, and 67%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients with aortic pseudoaneurysm require ascending aorta and/or arch replacement, which can be accomplished with low operative mortality and morbidity. Long-term survival and freedom from reoperation in these young patients parallel those expected for complex cardiac and aortic disease.

Aortopulmonary Fistula Occurring 4 Years After Replacement of the Ascending Aorta

A 62-year-old man presenting with congestive heart failure due to a fistula between an aortic pseudoaneurysm and the right pulmonary artery is described. The shunt occurred 4 years after aortic valve and supracoronary graft replacement and was diagnosed by transesophageal contrast echocardiography. After redo surgery the patient made an uneventful recovery.