ABSTRACT
Diagnosis of cardiac rupture caused by blunt trauma is sometimes difficult when multi-organ injuries are associated with profound shock. Only prompt diagnosis and urgent treatment can save the patients. We have encountered 16 cases of blunt cardiac rupture, including 4 that survived in the past 10 years. All cases of cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival were unable to be resuscitated. Also, all cases of profound hemorrhagic shock caused by multi-organ injury succumbed. Among the cases in which the region of cardiac rupture was identified, only cases of injury to the right heart chambers were saved. No case of rupture in the left heart chambers survived. It is definitely important to suspect cardiac injury and make a prompt diagnosis to save patients with blunt chest trauma. Ultrasonic cardiography is highly effective for urgent diagnosis of cardiac rupture because it can be performed readily, noninvasively and, therefore, repeatedly.
ABSTRACT
The earlier the diagnosis of acute type A aortic dissection is made, the more frequent the complications of aortic root destruction and/or a compromised coronary artery are encountered. Only aortography is diagnostic in these lesions, however, recently this modality tends to be avoided in order to try to improve the survival rate of the patients by obtaining diagnosis by noninvasive modalities. Therefore, contrast-enhanced CT scans in 49 patients with aortic dissection were analyzed in order to detect the slightest signs suggesting aortic root lesions. In 4 of the 6 cases in which intimal flap was detected in the aortic root by CT and in 2 of the 14 cases with an aortic root more than 35mm in diameter, aortic root reconstruction and/or concomitant CABG were neccessary for the repair of the destroyed aortic root. The aortic root diameter was more than 40mm in 8 of 9 patients with aortic root destruction, with a mean value of 45.6±3.6mm (<i>p</i><0.01). In summary, detection of a septum in the aortic root and/or an aortic root dilated more than 40mm on CT were important signs suggesting the dissection extending to the aortic sinus combined with aortic root destruction. In such cases aortic root reconstruction and/or concomitant CABG may be necessary.
ABSTRACT
A 16-year-old girl with aortitis syndrome under treatment with a low dose of prednisolone was admitted because of severe headache and intermittent claudication. Angiography revealed diffuse stenosis of the thoracoabdominal aorta and the bilateral renal arteries. Extra-anatomical bypass grafting from the ascending to the abdominal aorta was first made with a 14mm woven Dacron graft through a midline sternolaparotomy. Bilateral renal arteries were difficult to dissect due to periarterial adhesion. Bypass grafting for the left renal artery could be performed with a 5mm external velour wrap-knit Dacron graft (Sauvage, Bionit); however, the right renal artery was so thin that bypass was made with a 4mm EPTFE graft which was demonstrated to be occluded by follow-up angiography 3 years after surgery. The postoperative course has been uneventful and she has been free from symptoms up to now. The good long-term function of the bypass graft from the ascending aorta holds promise for diffuse coarctation of the thoracoabdominal aorta due to aortitis syndrome.
ABSTRACT
We describe a 52 year old woman who had an aneurysm involving the common hepatic artery directly originating from the aorta. It was successfully treated by aneurysmectomy without needing the arterial reconstruction. An aneurysm of the common hepatic artery that has an anomalous origin from the aorta is very rare and only 4 cases including the present case were reported in Japanese literature on our survey. The features and management of hepatic aneurysm are discussed.