Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Treated with Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair in a Patient with Peripheral Artery Disease.

Descending thoracic aortic aneurysm rupture is a life-threatening disease associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Treatment in these cases is a surgical emergency. Less invasive therapies for the treatment of this pathology have been developed over time. For descending thoracic aneurysm rupture, endovascular stent grafting is less invasive, life-saving, and a unique alternative to open repair. However, this approach is subject to anatomical and logistic limitations. The purpose of the present study is to report a case of an emergency endovascular repair for a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm in a patient with peripheral arterial disease, and to discuss some important issues related to this approach. Severe calcifications were discovered in this patient on both iliac arteries, and the remaining circulated lumen was less than 2 to 3 mm. Unfortunately, only catheter insertion into the left iliac artery for angiography was able to determine the development of a dissection in the arterial wall. We decided to dilate both iliac arteries with partial stabilization of the dissection on the right iliac artery which allowed us to successfully continue the endovascular procedure. After 24 hours, the patient experienced right limb ischemia, and revascularization of the affected limb was achieved by performing a right axillofemoral bypass.

Ultrasound Prenatal Diagnosis and Emergency Interventional Radiologic Therapy of Galen Aneurysmal Malformation in a Newborn.

Located under the cerebral hemispheres and draining the anterior and central regions of the brain into the sinus of the posterior cerebral fossa, the vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation is considered to be a rare cause of hydrocephaly. The presence of this condition in the neonatal period typically includes intractable heart failure and a poor prognosis. We report a case of aneurysm of the vein of Galen diagnosed prenatally at 28 weeks of gestation, with the delivery at term by caesarean section of a female infant. Sonographically, the vein of Galen appeared in the mid-sagittal plane, large, supratentorial, non-pulsatile; on color Doppler, the structure filled with bright color, reflecting a turbulent venous flow. A low grade of ventriculomegaly was present during the evolution of pregnancy; regarding the cardiovascular function, an intrauterine right cardiac insufficiency overlapped a tricuspid regurgitation and right atrial dilatation. A multidisciplinary committee decided a neonatal embolization of the aneurysm as an emergency requirement due to increased pulmonary hypertension developed in the next 24 hours after birth. After the embolization of the two main drainage vessels, the cardiac dysfunction persists. Two days later the evolution became unfavorable, leading to the necessity of the second embolization, which resulted in a 48 hours' coma and death, due to a cerebral hemorrhage secondary to thrombosis and fissure of the embolized aneurysm. The prognosis for the neonate with malformation of the Galen vein depends upon the severity of the cardiovascular status. Embolization represents actually the treatment of choice with the best results of these cases, but the mortality remains as high as 50 percent even in the most specialized centers of the world. As far as we know this is the only case of Galen aneurysmal malformation in Romania which beneficiated of embolization by interventional treatment in neonatal period.

Combined cardiac-neurosurgical treatment of acute aortic dissection, stroke, and coma.

Coma or stroke with secondary brain malperfusion is usually considered a strong contraindication for emergent surgical treatment of acute aortic dissection. Herein, we present the case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with sudden left hemiplegia and level-7 coma on the Glasgow Coma Scale. Transthoracic echocardiography showed type A aortic dissection. Although the patient was unable to communicate, her family approved an emergency Bentall operation. She regained consciousness but developed anisocoria and Glasgow Coma Scale level-4 coma 30 hours after the operation. Computed tomography showed massive cerebral infarction with hernia of the uncus gyri hippocampi. Emergency surgical cerebral decompression was performed. The patient survived; after 1 year, she had full mental acuity and minor left motor sequelae.