Aneurisma de Arteria Pulmonar como causa de muerte repentina: Reporte de un caso y revisión de literatura / Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm as a cause of sudden death: Case report and literature review

Resumen Objetivo: Correlacionar las generalidades de la etiología, patogenia, presentación clínica y métodos diagnósticos actuales disponibles para el aneurisma de arteria pulmonar con la muerte súbita o repentina de estos pacientes. Materiales y métodos: Se realizaron revisión del expediente clínico, análisis de la autopsia y revisión bibliográfica. Presentación de caso: Se presenta el caso de un masculino de 39 años con antecedente de hipertensión pulmonar que consultó por disnea súbita. Se abordó el caso como un tromboembolismo pulmonar. El paciente presentó una evolución clínica tórpida y falleció. La autopsia reveló un aneurisma de la arteria pulmonar. Conclusión: Los aneurismas de la arteria pulmonar son poco frecuentes. La presentación clínica es inespecífica. Los métodos diagnósticos más fiables son la sospecha clínica y los métodos de imagen, sin embargo siguen siendo motivo de muerte súbita y repentina; cuyo hallazgo es postmorten.

Abstract Objective: Correlate the generalities of etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation and current diagnostic methods available for pulmonary artery aneurysm with sudden death of these patients. Materials and methods: Review of medical record, autopsy analysis and scientific literature. Case presentation: A 39-year-old male with a history of pulmonary hypertension, who consulted for sudden dyspnea. The case was approached as a pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient presented bad clinical evolution and died. Autopsy revealed an aneurysm of the pulmonary artery. Conclusion: Aneurysms of the pulmonary artery are rare. The clinical presentation is nonspecific. The most reliable diagnostic methods are clinical suspicion and imaging methods, however they remain a cause of sudden death; whose finding is postmortem.

Transplante cardíaco heterotópico. Experiência clínica inicial / Heterotopic heart transplantation. Initial clinical experience

PURPOSE--To report our initial clinical experience with heterotopic heart transplantation, stressing its indications and a new modification in surgical technique. METHODS--We studied three patients underwent heterotopic heart transplantation, using an original technique in one of them. This new technique allows to connect both pulmonary arteries without any prosthetic tube. RESULTS--One early death and two late survivors, with 17 and 20 months of follow-up. One of them is clinically well and practices sports, regularly. CONCLUSION--Heterotopic heart transplantation could be considered as a good therapeutic option for end-stage patients with cardiomyopathy and right pulmonary vascular resistance, specially those with right ventricle. It can improve general results of heart transplantation because it reduces the early risks related to hemodynamic problems in a selected group of patients.