S. Pagni et al., RUPTURED AORTIC PSEUDO-ANEURYSM - A RARE PRESENTATION AS AORTOCAVAL FISTULA, Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, 38(2), 1997, pp. 165-168
Pseudo-aneurysms after abdominal aortic replacement are rare, occurrin
g in less than 1% of operated patients, Usually asymptomatic, they may
present clinically as a pulsatile mass or less commonly complicated w
ith rupture, Aortocaval fistulas are rare, usually related to ruptured
aortic aneurysms or trauma. A case of aortocaval fistula secondary to
a ruptured pseudoaneurysm in a 81 year old woman is reported. After a
n infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair, the patient remained asymptomatic
for 7 years, but abdominal pain and syncope developed and prompted fu
rther investigation. She was found to have a 6 cm by 6 cm retroaortoca
val false aneurysm which had ruptured into the inferior vena cava, Com
puted tomography with intravenous contrast suggested the diagnosis and
color Doppler ultrasound failed to confirm it. The etiology and manag
ement of this rare case are discussed.