PubMed · 2919854
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B R Leslie, L H Head, J C Scharfenberg. 1989-03-15. Ischemic hepatitis from aortic dissection.. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-110-6-495_1
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A 56-year-old man without previous medical history or risk factors for coronary artery disease, presented with chest pain 2 weeks after violent blunt chest trauma. He was as a spectator, beaten and kicked almost to death during an amateur soccer match. Because of embarrassment, this was denied till shortly after his death. Shortly before the patient died, thoracic CT-scan showed a dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta in association with pericardial and bilateral pleural effusion. He suddenly died in-hospital due to heart tamponade secondary to rupture of the aneurysm into the pericardial space. At autopsy, the intimal layer of the aorta showed no atherosclerotic changes. The intimal rupture was located just above the origin of the right coronary artery.
We present the case of a 45-year-old man who underwent surgical repair of a dissecting aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta. 25 days postoperatively, the patient unexpectedly developed hematemesis and hypovolemic shock. Emergency gastroscopy was performed and a suspected aortoesophageal fistula was diagnosed. Unfortunately, the patient died prior to emergency surgery. Aneurysms of the aorta or of aortic grafts occasionally lead to the development of fistulae to the upper gastrointestinal tract. Once this rare, but life-threatening complication is suspected, endoscopy must be performed immediately. Emergency surgery is associated with a high risk, but represents the only possibly chance of survival for the patient.