Diagnóstico y manejo del síndrome aórtico agudo / Diagnostic and management of acute aortic syndrom

El síndrome aórtico agudo incluye un grupo de patologías graves de la aorta, con una mortalidad hasta del 90% en los primeros 40 días tras el inicio de los síntomas. Según la localización de la lesión el tratamiento puede ser médico o quirúrgico, el cual ha demostrado mejorar el pronóstico de estos pacientes tanto a corto como a largo plazo. El diagnóstico oportuno es esencial para incrementar la supervivencia y disminuir la tasa de complicaciones relacionadas; no obstante, debido a la baja incidencia y presentación clínica en ocasiones inespecífica, l diagnóstico puede retrasarse u obviarse, ocasionando consecuencias catastróficas para los pacientes. Este artículo se centrará en el abordaje diagnóstico del síndrome aórtico agudo tipo A, además de ofrecer una breve revisión respecto al tratamiento médico y quirúrgico de estas patologías.

Acute aortic syndrome includes a group of serious aortic pathologies, with a mortality rate of up to 90% in the first 40 days after the onset of symptoms. Depending on the location of the lesion, the treatment will be medical or surgical which has been shown to improve the prognosis of these patients both in the short- and long-term. Timey diagnosis is essential to increase survival and decrease the rate of related complications; however, due to the low incidence and sometimes non-specific clinical picture, the diagnosis can be delayed or missed, leading to catastrophic consequences for the patients. This article will focus on the diagnostic approach of type A acute aortic syndrome, in addition to offering a brief review regarding the medical and surgical treatment of these pathologies.

Revisión sistemática de procedimientos quirúrgicos usados para tratar patología aórtica en México / Systematic review of surgical procedures used to treat aortic pathology in Mexico

Resumen Introducción: En México no se cuentan con estadísticas adecuadas acerca de la enfermedad aórtica, que puede ser tratada mediante manejo médico o cirugía abierta o endovascular. Objetivo: Identificar la literatura en bases de datos electrónicas relativa al manejo invasivo de la patología aórtica en México. Método: Se realizó búsqueda sistemática y revisión narrativa de la literatura disponible en diferentes bases de datos electrónicas: PubMed, Imbiomed, Clinical Key, Bibliat, Scielo, Sage Journals, Sciencedirect y con el motor de búsqueda de Google Académico. Resultados: Se encontraron 90 artículos, de los cuales 50 reunían los criterios de inclusión. Fueron seleccionados estudios observacionales y reportes de casos, con énfasis en los datos demográficos de los pacientes, resultados clínicos y la supervivencia posoperatoria a 30 días. Conclusión: Se reporta elevada tasa de complicaciones de las enfermedades aórticas debido al infradiagnóstico de estas, que deriva en manejo más complejo y pronóstico desfavorable. La creación de un registro nacional de patología aórtica es crucial para la estandarización en el abordaje y la optimación de los resultados.

Abstract Introduction: In Mexico, there are no appropriate statistical data on aortic disease, which can be treated with medical management or open or endovascular surgical approach. Objective: To carry out a systematic search and review of the literature in electronic databases with regard to invasive management of aortic pathology in Mexico. Method: A systematic search and narrative review of available literature was carried out using different electronic databases: PubMed, Imbiomed, Clinical Key, Bibliat, Scielo, Sage Journals and Sciencedirect, as well as with the Google Scholar search engine. Results: Ninety articles were found, out of which only 53 met the inclusion criteria. Observational studies and case reports were selected, emphasizing on patient demographics, clinical results, and 30-day postoperative survival. Conclusion: An elevated rate of complications is reported for aortic pathologies due to underdiagnosis, which results in management being more complicated and prognosis unfavorable. The creation of a national aortic disease registry is crucial to standardization in the approach and optimization of results.

Outcomes before and after the Implementation of a Critical Pathway for Patients with Acute Aortic Disease

PURPOSE: Acute aortic diseases, such as aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm, can be life-threatening vascular conditions. In this study, we compared outcomes before and after the implementation of a critical pathway (CP) for patients with acute aortic disease at the emergency department (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study. The CP was composed of two phases: PRE-AORTA for early diagnosis and AORTA for prompt treatment. We compared patients who were diagnosed with acute aortic disease between pre-period (January 2010 to December 2011) and post-period (July 2012 to June 2014). RESULTS: Ninety-four and 104 patients were diagnosed with acute aortic disease in the pre- and post-periods, respectively. After the implementation of the CP, 38.7% of acute aortic disease cases were diagnosed via PRE-AORTA. The door-to-CT time was reduced more in PRE-AORTA-activated patients [71.0 (61.0, 115.0) min vs. 113.0 (56.0, 170.5) min; p=0.026]. During the post-period, more patients received emergency intervention than during the pre-period (22.3% vs. 36.5%; p=0.029). Time until emergency intervention was reduced in patients, who visited the ED directly, from 378.0 (302.0, 489.0) min in the pre-period to 200.0 (170.0, 299.0) min in the post-period (p=0.001). The number of patients who died in the ED declined from 11 to 4 from the pre-period to the post-period. Hospital mortality decreased from 26.6% to 14.4% in the post-period (p=0.033). CONCLUSION: After the implementation of a CP for patients with acute aortic disease, more patients received emergency intervention within a shorter time, resulting in improved hospital mortality.

Síndrome de platipneia-ortodeóxia em aorta ectásica: relato de caso e revisão da literatura / Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in patients presenting enlarged aortic root: case report and literature review

Descrevemos aqui o caso de um paciente que, ao assumir posições de ortostatismo, apresentava hipoxemia e disfunção ventilatória grave. Embora a gravidade dos sintomas tenha determinado a necessidade de internação em ambiente de terapia intensiva, os exames iniciais identificaram apenas a presença de ectasia da aorta, sem, no entanto, justificar o quadro. A associação dessas manifestações a uma etiologia incomum, o shunt intracardíaco, caracterizou o diagnóstico da síndrome de platipneia-ortodeóxia. A revisão da literatura demonstra que, com o avanço dos métodos de investigação, houve progressivo aumento na identificação desse quadro, devendo essa associação fazer parte do diagnóstico diferencial de dispneia em pacientes com aorta ectásica.

We describe herein a case of a patient who, when in orthostatic positions, had severe hypoxemia and ventilatory dysfunction. Although the severity of symptoms required hospitalization in an intensive care setting, the initial tests only identified the presence of enlarged aortic root, which did not explain the condition. The association of these events with an unusual etiology, namely intracardiac shunt, characterized the diagnosis of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome. The literature review shows that, with advancing research methods, there was a progressive increase in the identification of this condition, and this association should be part of the differential diagnosis of dyspnea in patients with enlarged aortic root.

Reparación endovascular de coartación de aorta con parada cardiaca inducida con adenosina / Endovascular repair of aortic coarctation with adenosine induced cardiac arrest

La coartación de aorta es una estrechamiento congénito de la luz aórtica que, generalmente, afecta la porción torácica distal a la emergencia de la arteria subclavia izquierda. Esta condición es de gran importancia, pues predispone al desarrollo de patología cardiovasculares a edades tempranas, lo que se traduce en una alta morbimortalidad. Se reporta el primer caso en Costa Rica, de reparación endovascular de una coartación de aorta, mediante la colocación de un stent recubierto, con parada cardiaca inducida con adenosina. La paciente toleró el procedimiento bien y el gradiente postintervención fue menor de 5 mmHg. Su presión arterial sistémica es 100/60 mmHg y no tiene limitaciones o sintomatología...

Síndrome aórtico agudo: Revisión de la literatura y actualización del tema / Acute aortic syndrome

Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a term that describes interrelated aortic emergencies with similar clinical characteristics and challenges. These are aortic dissection (AD), intramural hematoma (IH), and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU). The incidence of AAS is three cases per 100.000 persons per year. Diverse genetic disorders and acquired conditions have been related to the pathogenesis of this disease. Clinical features of patients with any of the three conditions comprising AAS are very similar. A high degree of clinical suspicion and imaging studies are necessary for an accurate diagnosis. Prognosis is clearly related to underlying diagnosis and appropriate surgical repair, in the case of proximal involvement of the aorta. Involvement of distal segments of the aorta may require medical or endovascular therapy according to the presence of complications. After hospital discharge, patients require lifelong follow-up.

Aortic intramural hematoma after thrombolysis in a patient with acute massive pulmonary embolism

No abstract available.

Spontaneous aortocaval fistula: a case report and literature review

Spontaneous aortocaval fistula is a rare complication of abdominal aortic aneurysms. We describe two cases of spontaneous aortocaval fistula. The first patient is a woman who was admitted with abdominal pain and pulsatile abdominal mass. Another patient was a man admitted with progressive abdominal pain and hypotension. Computed tomography [CT] scan in both patients showed an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and simultaneous contrast enhancement in the inferior vena cava. Both patients underwent an urgent laparotomy in which the diagnosis of an aortocaval fistula was confirmed. We review the literature on spontaneous aortocaval fistula as a consequence of complicated aortic aneurysms

An unusual presentation of thoracic para-aortic hematoma due to blunt trauma.

An 11-yr-old boy was admitted to the hospital with gradually aggravating acute abdominal pain along with nausea, vomiting and constipation for 5 days. The pain started after blunt trauma on the superior abdomen. He had normal laboratory tests and abdominal examination, but his chest radiograph showed infiltration in the right lung and an abnormal mass on the left diaphragm. Further investigation like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance MR angiography, revealed an abnormal para-aotic mass located a mass located para-aortic above posterior to the left diaphragm with a well-defined margin. The abnormal mass was finally confirmed to be a hematoma with exploratory thoracotomy. The rarity of this kind of presentation is discussed for making an early and correct diagnosis.

Cytomegalovirus Infection-related Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation and Aorto-enteric Fistula after Abdominal Aortic Aneurysmal Repair / 대한소화기학회지

Gastrointestinal complications (GI) after thoracoabdominal aortic repair can be classified as biliary disease, heptic dysfunction, pancreatitis, GI bleeding, peptic ulcer disease, bowel ischemia, paralytic ileus, and aortoenteric fistula. Theses complications are associated with high post operative morbidity and mortality. Most of the aortoenteric fistulae after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery are found at the duodenum, near the surgical site. These rare complications are caused by an indirect communication with abdominal aorta that originated from an aneursymal formation ruptured into the duodenum. Such aorto-duodenal fistula formation is considered as a result of inflammatory change from secondary infection near the surgical instruments. Herein, we report two cases of massive upper GI bleeding from aorto-duodenal fistulae and spontaneous lower GI perforation related to cytomegalovirus infection after abdominal aortic aneurysmal repair operations.

Cytomegalovirus Infection-related Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation and Aorto-enteric Fistula after Abdominal Aortic Aneurysmal Repair / 대한소화기학회지

Gastrointestinal complications (GI) after thoracoabdominal aortic repair can be classified as biliary disease, heptic dysfunction, pancreatitis, GI bleeding, peptic ulcer disease, bowel ischemia, paralytic ileus, and aortoenteric fistula. Theses complications are associated with high post operative morbidity and mortality. Most of the aortoenteric fistulae after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery are found at the duodenum, near the surgical site. These rare complications are caused by an indirect communication with abdominal aorta that originated from an aneursymal formation ruptured into the duodenum. Such aorto-duodenal fistula formation is considered as a result of inflammatory change from secondary infection near the surgical instruments. Herein, we report two cases of massive upper GI bleeding from aorto-duodenal fistulae and spontaneous lower GI perforation related to cytomegalovirus infection after abdominal aortic aneurysmal repair operations.

Linfoma periaórtico tóraco-abdominal, que simula un síndrome aórtico agudo y revisión de la literatura / Thoracoabdominal periaortic lymphoma mimicking acule aortic syndrome. Report of one case

Systemic lymphoma that involves the aorta is called periaortic lymphoma, and may be misdiagnosed clinically or in CT sean, mimicking a thoracic aortic aneurysm, dissection, penetrating ulcer or an intramural hematoma. We report a 70 year-old woman in whom a systemic non-Hodgkin 's lymphoma ivas diagnosed after she presented with the clinical features of an acute aortic syndrome. A CT sean showed the presence of a large thoracoabdominal periaortic soft tissue mass without aneurism or dissection. Later, a biopsy of the mass was performed which showed a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Chemotherapy with CHOP-R was effective, with complete initial resolution of the mass, developing in the follow up chylothorax, malnutrition and death.

Utilidad del uso de la ecocardiografía transesofágica durante la inserción de una endoprótesis de aorta torácica. Caso clínico / Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography during insertion of a thoracic aorta endoprosthesis. A case report

El uso de la ecocardiografía transesofágica (ETE) durante la inserción de una endoprótesis aórtica torácica percutánea puede ser de gran utilidad. Esto es porque se trata de una técnica de monitorización escasamente invasiva con la que se obtienen imágenes de la aorta en tiempo real y de alta calidad, sin interferir en el campo quirúrgico. Se presenta el caso clínico de un paciente de alto riesgo portador de una disección de aorta torácica tipo B al que se le instaló con éxito una endoprótesis bajo visión angiográfica y ecocardiográfica. La ETE fue muy útil durante este procedimiento, pues permitió una excelente visión anatómica de la aorta. Además, con el uso de Doppler color fue posible evaluar la ausencia de endofugas paraprotésicas durante el procedimiento. En conclusión, la ETE puede ser una técnica de imágenes útil y complementaria de la angiografía durante la instalación de una endoprótesis de aorta torácica.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can be very useful during endovascular treatment of the thoracic aorta. TEE is a minimally invasive monitoring technique that provides high qua lit y images of the aorta without interfering the surgical field. A successful endovascular repair of a thoracic aortic dissection monitored by angiography and TEE is reported. The excellent images of the aorta provided by TEE and color Doppler were very useful for its anatomical evaluation and for demonstrating the absence of paraprosthetic endoleaks. In conclusion, during the implantation of a stent-graft in the aorta, TEE must be installed because it provides additional in formation to angiography.

O uso da ecocardiografia transesofágica (ETE) durante a colocação de uma endoprótese aórtica torácica percutanea pode ser de grande utilidade, por tratar-se de uma técnica de monitoramento minimamente invasiva que gera imagens da aorta de alta qualidade em tempo real e sem interferir no campo cirúrgico. É apresentado o caso clínico de um paciente de alto risco, portador de uma dissecção de aorta torácica tipo B, ao qual se colocou com exito uma endoprótese sob visão angiográfica e ecocardiográfica. A ETE foi de grande utilidade durante este procedimento, pois permitiu uma excelente visão anatómica da aorta. Além disso, o uso do Doppler em cores possibilitou avaliar a ausencia de endofugas paraprotéticas durante o procedimento. Em conclusão, a ETE pode ser uma técnica de imagens útil e complementar da angiografia durante a colocação de uma endoprótese de aorta torácica.

Cisto tímico como diagnóstico diferencial de doença aguda da aorta torácica / Thymic cyst as a differencial diagnosis of acute thoracic aortic disease

Paciente encaminhada de outro serviço com história de dor torácica aguda de forte intensidade com diagnóstico de hematoma intramural na aorta ascendente para correção cirúrgica. Após investigação diagnóstica, identificou-se tumoração cística no mediastino anterior, que envolvia toda a aorta ascendente e que produzia restrição ao enchimento diastólico do ventrículo direito. A análise histológica do tumor ressecado revelou o diagnóstico de cisto tímico. Objetivo deste relato é descrever tumoração mediastinal de baixa prevalência, que pode produzir imagem radiológica com características de hematoma intramural e resultar em conduta terapêutica equivocada.

Patient was referred to our Service with acute thoracic pain and diagnosis of intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta for surgical correction. The diagnostic investigation showed a cystic tumor involving the ascending aorta causing restriction of the right ventricular inflow. After resection, the histologic analysis disclosed the diagnosis of thymic cyst. The aim of this study is to describe a rare mediastinal tumor that may simulate a radiologic feature with characteristics of intramural hematoma and may result in a wrong therapeutic approach.

Dysphagia aortica.

Extrinsic esophageal compression leading to dysphagia is a recognized but uncommon presentation of thoracic aortic aneurysms. This has been referred to as dysphagia aortica, and is a late presentation of large thoracic aneurysms. We present the case of a young man of age 31 years, who was referred to us for cardiological evaluation for on and off chest pain and backache with dysphagia and abnormal chest X-ray showing dilated descending aorta. Eventually, thoracic-abdominal aortic aneurysm causing compression of the esophagus was discovered. When dealing with patients who present with dysphagia and on and off chest pain and backache if no other cause is discovered, a thoracic aortic aneurysm should form part of the differential diagnosis, as this is potentially curable, and delay in diagnosis and treatment predisposes to rupture and death.

Diagnóstico ecocardiográfico de janela aorto-pulmonar e interrupção de arco aórtico / Echocardiographic diagnosis of aortopulmonary window and interrupted aortic arch

A janela aorto-pulmonar é uma cardiopatia rara, com incidência em torno de 0,2 por cento, caracterizada pela comunicação entre a aorta ascedente e a artéria pulmonar, na presença de duas valvas semilunares individualizadas. A associação com interrupção do arco aórtico é a mais comum. No entanto, a experiência acumulada é limitada a relatos de casos. O ecocardiograma é um exame de investigação anatômica preciso e, em decorrência de sua não-invasibilidade, permanece como o método diagnóstico de escolha.

Angiotomografía computada multicorte 64 en patología de la arteria aorta / Multislice computed tomography angiography 64 pathology of the aorta

La angiotomografía computada representa una metodología diagnóstica de gran utilidad que ha cobrado mayor importancia con los nuevos avances tecnológicos. La tomografía computada multicorte con 64 hileras de detectores nos brinda la posibilidad de estudiar con gran precisión y enorme detalle estructuras cada vez más pequeñas, ofreciendo una nueva perspectiva en el diagnóstico de la patología aórtica.

Quantitative Analysis of Aortic Atherosclerosis in Korean Female: A Necropsy Study

To assess the regional difference and influence of the biological variables on atherosclerosis in female, we analyzed 7 segments of aorta (2 ascending, 3 thoracic, and 2 abdominal) from 90 superficially healthy Korean women (39+/-14 yr of age) who died from external causes. Tissue specimens were macroscopically examined and histopathologically divided into 7 grades for scoring (ATHERO, from 0=intact, to 6=thrombi formation). Lumen diameter (LD), wall thickness (WT), intima thickness (INT), and media thickness (MED) were obtained by computed morphometry. Atherosclerosis was common in the distal infrarenal (C2), proximal thoracic (B1), and proximal ascending (A1) segments. Total 95.6% of all subjects had atherosclerosis of variable degree in one or more segments, but an aneurysmal change was not found. The number of atherosclerotic segments and atherosclerosis score in the 7 segments increased with aging. However, the body size did not affect the aortic size and ATHERO. With aging, LD and INT of the A1, B1 and C2 increased (p<.00001); WT of the B1 and C2 increased (p<.01); and MED of C2 decreased (p<.01). LD and WT of the B1 and C2 (p<.05), INT of the A1, B1 and C2 (p<.00001) increased, and MED of C2 decreased (p<.01) with ATHERO. These data suggest that age is simple but a reliable parameter for estimating the progression of atherosclerosis.