Pseudoaneurisma humeral secundario a punción arterial inadvertida / Brachial artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to inadvertent arterial puncture

RESUMEN Los pseudoaneurismas de la arteria humeral son infrecuentes, pero pueden asociarse a complicaciones de alta morbilidad como la isquemia de miembro superior. Comunicamos un caso de pseudoaneurisma humeral en el pliegue del codo, que se presentó como tumor pulsátil con leve disminución de la temperatura y parestesias en la mano homolateral de un año de evolución, debido a una punción arterial inadvertida durante la venopunción para extracción de sangre. Se trató con éxito mediante resección quirúrgica más reconstrucción vascular con bypass húmero-cubital y bypass húmero-radial ambos con vena safena. Se discuten las diversas opciones terapéuticas disponibles para los pseudoaneurismas humerales considerando las características anatómicas y la sintomatología del paciente.

ABSTRACT Brachial artery pseudoaneurysms are rare but can be associated with severe complications as ischemia of the upper extremity. We report a case of a brachial artery pseudoaneurysm in the crease of the elbow presenting as a pulsating mass with progressive growth over the past year. The ipsilateral hand was sightly cold and presented paresthesia. The lesion was due to inadvertent arterial puncture during venipuncture. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated with surgical resection and vascular reconstruction with a brachial to ulnar artery bypass and brachial to radial artery bypass with saphenous vein graft. The different therapeutic options available for brachial artery pseudoaneurysms are discussed, considering the anatomic characteristics and patients' symptoms.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures with Brachial Artery Injuries.

(1) Background: This study aims to describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of and the diagnostic approach to brachial artery injuries in pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures, as well as to evaluate intraoperative vascular anatomical lesions and early postoperative results. (2) Methods: A retrospective, hospital-based analysis of medical records at Viet Duc University Hospital (Vietnam), using a sample of children under 16 years who met the diagnostic criteria for supracondylar humerus fractures with brachial artery injuries between January 2016 and December 2020, was performed. A total of 50 patients were included in the analysis. (3) Results: Out of 50 pediatric patients, 36 patients were male (72%) and the mean age was 5.85 years (range, 1.5-14 years). Before treatment, there were 46 patients with severely displaced fractures which were classified as Gartland type III (92%). Following casting, the percentage of those with severely displaced fractures was reduced significantly to 12%, while there were no patients with Gartland type III fractures after percutaneous pinning. Doppler sonography failed to assess vascular lesions at the fracture site before and after casting in most patients. Two-thirds of surgical cases had only vasospasm, without physical damage to the vessel wall or intravascular thrombosis. Preoperative Doppler spectrum analysis was not consistent with the severity of intraoperative brachial artery injury. Out of 24 patients with vasospasm, we performed vascular blockade using papaverin in 11 cases and intraoperative balloon angioplasty of the brachial artery using the Fogarty catheter in 13 cases. Brachial artery graft was performed with 12 patients who had anatomical damage to the vascular wall. A complication of embolism occurred in one patient immediately after surgery, and two patients had superficial infections. One month following surgery, 2 out of 36 patients had a temporary loss of sensation in the area of incision. (4) Conclusions: Most pediatric patients did not present with symptoms of critical limb ischemia similar to those associated with lower extremity vascular injuries. The diagnosis and treatment of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures with vascular injury is difficult and time-consuming, especially in cases of transverse fractures.