Aortoenteric fistula as a complication of open reconstruction and endovascular repair of abdominal aorta

A rare case of sudden death due to aortogastric fistula after endovascular aortic repair of the descending aorta

Aortogastric fistulas are a rare type of aortoenteric fistula (AEF). Aortoenteric fistulas have been reported as a complication of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) after the placement of prosthetic materials. Considering the anatomic relationship of the descending thoracic aorta and the stomach, the formation of an aortic fistula involving the stomach is an extremely rare case. We report the case of a 77-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital due to severe mid-thoracic chest pain and was diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Her medical history included an aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta, which was treated using the Thoracic Endovascular Repair (TEVAR) method several months prior. The patient died a few hours later amid hemorrhagic shock. The autopsy confirmed the upper gastrointestinal bleeding and revealed a fistula between the descending thoracic aorta and stomach, which were in anatomic contact because of a sliding hiatus hernia.

An Insidious Gastrointestinal Bleeding from Secondary Aortoduodenal Fistula Leading to Septic Shock

Insidious gastrointestinal bleeding from a secondary aortic fistula poses a significant diagnostic challenge. Failure to recognize it early on can lead to devastating outcomes. We describe a case of insidious gastrointestinal bleeding from a secondary aortic fistula in an elderly woman who presented with recurrent admissions for melanotic stools and eventually developed septic shock. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy did not reveal any obvious source of bleeding. The patient eventually had push endoscopy that revealed infected graft and a secondary aortoduodenal fistula. One should proceed with push enteroscopy in occult bleeding if the patient has a history of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Secondary aortoenteric fistula possibly associated with continuous physical stimulation: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Secondary aortoenteric fistula is a rare but fatal complication after reconstructive surgery for an aortic aneurysm characterized by abdominal pain, fever, hematochezia, and hematemesis, and the mortality rate is high. It has been suggested that it arises due to either continuous physical stimulation or prosthesis infection during primary surgery. We describe an aortoenteric fistula following reconstructive surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm together with postmortem pathological findings.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 59-year-old Japanese man who had undergone reconstructive surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm 20 months earlier presented with the chief complaint of hematochezia and malaise. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and total colonoscopy revealed only colon diverticula with no bleeding. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed gas within the aneurysm sac and adhesion between the replaced aortic graft and intestinal tract, suggesting a graft infection. After 18 days of antibiotic treatment, he suddenly went into a state of shock, with massive fresh bloody stool and hematemesis, followed by cardiac arrest. An autopsy revealed communication between the artery and the ileum through an ulcerative fistula at the suture line between the left aortic graft branch and the left common iliac artery. Pathological analysis revealed tight adherence between the arterial and intestinal walls, but no marked sign of infection around the fistula, suggesting that the fistula had arisen due to physical stimuli.

CONCLUSIONS

Pathological analysis suggested that the present secondary aortoenteric fistula arose due to physical stimuli. This reaffirms the importance of keeping reconstructed aortas isolated from the intestine after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

A case report of successful treatment of secondary aortoenteric fistula complicated with gastrointestinal bleeding and retroperitoneal abscess in an elderly patient

RATIONALE

The treatment of secondary aortoenteric fistula (SAEF) involves maintaining hemodynamic stability, infection control, revascularization, and surgical repair. Conventional open repair is associated with high mortality, whereas endovascular stent-graft repair is associated with recurrent infection or bleeding.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report the case of an 85-year-old man with SAEF who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding and retroperitoneal abscess.

DIAGNOSES

He was misdiagnosed for 5 months. SAEF was eventually diagnosed by CT and gastroduodenoscopy.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent hybrid open surgery: extraanatomic left axillofemoral bypass graft reconstruction, exploratory laparotomy, aortic stent graft excision, infrarenal abdominal aortic suture, left common iliac artery ligation, extensive surgical debridement, and retroperitoneal abscess resolution and drainage, along with duodenal defect repair and jejunal feeding tube placement.

OUTCOMES

He survived the complicated surgery and several life-threatening complications with multidisciplinary management. He has kept well for 15 months.

LESSONS

Elderly SAEF patients can undergo open repair when circumstances permit, but multidisciplinary management is crucial.

Colon penetration by a femoral prosthesis: a case report

We report of a 57-year-old female patient who underwent a hemipelvectomy with a hemipelvic replacement in 1992. In 2013 the implanted material had to be partially removed due to a periprothetic infection. At that time a palacos spacer was implanted which penetrated two years later into the colon cavity.

Aorto-enteric Fistula 15 Years After Uncomplicated Endovascular Aortic Repair with Unforeseen Onset of Endocarditis

Introduction

Aorto-enteric fistula after endovascular aortic repair is an exceedingly rare but serious condition.

Report

A rare case of a fistula between the excluded aortic sac and the transverse colon 15 years after endovascular aortic repair is described. Onset was endocarditis without gastrointestinal haemorrhage, migration, endoleak, or aortic sac dilatation. The patient was successfully treated by fistula excision, debridement and broad spectrum antibiotic treatment without endograft explantation.

Discussion

Aorto-enteric fistula can emerge after endovascular repair with an unforeseen onset such as endocarditis, which in this case probably occurred as metastatic sepsis from endograft infection.

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Uneventful endovascular aneurysm repair can generate an aorto-enteric fistula to a successful excluded and stable aneurysm sac.

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This case underlines the need for awareness of unusual symptoms that could represent potential late EVAR related complications.

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A conservative approach without graft removal seems feasible in this case with severe comorbidity.

Critical gastrointestinal bleed due to secondary aortoenteric fistula

Secondary aortoenteric fistula (SAEF) is a rare yet lethal cause of gastrointestinal bleeding and occurs as a complication of an abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Clinical presentation may vary from herald bleeding to overt sepsis and requires high index of suspicion and clinical judgment to establish diagnosis. Initial diagnostic tests may include computerized tomography scan and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Each test has variable sensitivity and specificity. Maintaining the hemodynamic status, control of bleeding, removal of the infected graft, and infection control may improve clinical outcomes. This review entails the updated literature on diagnosis and management of SAEF. A literature search was conducted for articles published in English, on PubMed and Scopus using the following search terms: secondary, aortoenteric, aorto-enteric, aortoduodenal, aorto-duodenal, aortoesophageal, and aorto-esophageal. A combination of MeSH terms and Boolean operators were used to device search strategy. In addition, a bibliography of clinically relevant articles was searched to find additional articles (Appendix A). The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive update on the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of SAEF.