Treatment of syphilitic aortitis with coronary artery bypass grafting and "open" stent placement.

Cardiovascular syphilis manifests many years after primary infection. Here, we report the successful treatment of a patient who developed syphilitic aortitis with bilateral coronary ostial stenosis and aortic insufficiency. The patient underwent right coronary artery bypass grafting, left main coronary ostial "open" stent placement, and mechanical aortic valve placement during open-heart surgery.

[Emergency Operation for Impending Rupture of Syphilitic Aortic Aneurysm with Left Coronary Ostial Stenosis:Report of a Case].

Syphilis is known as a cause of syphilitic aortitis. Chronic inflammation leads to formation of syphilitic aneurysm which often is found at the ascending aorta. If the inflammation spreads to the aortic root, stenosis of coronary ostium or aortic valve regurgitation are caused. We report a case that impending rupture of syphilitic aneurysm at ascending aorta with stenosis of left coronary ostium. The patient is a 49 years old male, and his chief complaint was chest pain which gradually became stronger. Computed tomography (CT) identified a large ascending aneurysm with a maximum diameter of 66 mm. The serum rapid plasma regain( RPR) test and the fixed Treponema pallidum latex agglutination( TPLA) test were positive. We diagnosed impending rupture of aneurysm, and performed emergency ascending aorta replacement. The aortic aneurysm was strongly adherent to the surrounding tissues. Pathological findings showed mesaortitis, which was consistent with syphilitic aneurysm. We started oral administration of amoxicillin hydrate from postoperative day 8. The patient did well, and was discharged on postoperative day 18. During his hospitalization, we performed enhanced coronary CT, and found stenosis of left coronary ostium. But he had no symptoms, so he got percutaneous coronary intervention after his discharge. Now the number of patients of syphilis is increasing in Japan. So it is important to know its characteristics and proper treatment.

Cardiovascular syphilis treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Cardiovascular syphilis presented with concomitant aortic regurgitation (AR) and left coronary ostial stenosis is rare, usually treated with on-pump aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass graft. We report a critical case of AR and left coronary ostial stenosis due to cardiovascular syphilis treated with emergent salvage transcatheter aortic valve replacement and percutaneous coronary intervention.

Impending Aortic Rupture in a Patient with Syphilitic Aortitis.

We report the case of a 48-year-old man, admitted for atrial fibrillation with rapid heart rate and intense chest pain. A quick evaluation revealed a giant aortic aneurysm with severe aortic regurgitation and pericardial fluid without a trace of aortic dissection. Because of high suspicion of aortic rupture, an emergency surgery was planned, and a Bentall procedure was performed. On examination of the aortic wall revealing vertical wrinkling with a tree bark aspect, suspicion of syphilitic aortitis arose. The diagnosis was confirmed through postoperative serologic testing and histological examination. Histopathologic differential diagnosis, special treatment and follow-up are presented.

Syphilitic aortitis: chronic left coronary ostial occlusion and aortic regurgitation with aortitis.

Before the discovery of penicillin, tertiary syphilis was the most common cause of thoracic aneurysms, but now cardiovascular syphilis is a clinical rarity in developed countries. We report a case of 69-year-old man who presented with sudden onset breathlessness that worsened insidiously for 2 months. Diagnosis of syphilitic aortitis was confirmed by laboratory findings, contrast computed tomography, echocardiography and coronary angiography. The patient underwent successful coronary artery bypass graft, aortic valve replacement and ascending aortic replacement. A high level of suspicion and awareness is needed for the diagnosis of the now rare disease.

[Hybrid Two-stage Repair of Syphilitic Aortic Aneurysm, Total Arch Replacement and Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair;Report of a Case].

Syphilitic aortic aneurysm is seldom seen in the antibiotic era. Statistically the number of patients is increasing today and 10% of them seem to develop syphilitic aortitis. A 59-year-old male visited the emergency room due to chest discomfort and general fatigue. Treponema pallidum latex agglutination (TPLA) and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) were both strongly positive on blood tests. White blood cell counts and C-reactive protein elevation were also found. He couldn't figure out how or when he was suffering from syphilis. He needed to undergo a hybrid 2-stage surgery urgently, Total arch replacement and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), because his thoracic aortic aneurysm was growing more rapidly. No complication has occurred during or after surgery. Computed tomography after surgery showed successful exclusion of the thoracic aneurysm. It is important not to forget that syphilis is one of the causes of aortic aneurysm.

Comparison of coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention for syphilitic coronary artery ostial lesions: A 4-year retrospective study.

This study investigated the efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in treatment of patients with syphilitic coronary artery ostial lesions (SCAOL).Sixty SCAOL patients were divided into two groups according to the different treatments: the CABG group (n = 32) and the PCI group (n = 28). We determined serum levels of ß-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac function, and evaluated treatment efficacy such as the rates of restenosis, patency, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) during hospital stay and the effects of antisyphilis and different types of CABG on restenosis during the 6-month follow-up period.There were no statistical differences in demographic or baseline clinical characteristics, BNP levels, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd), or ejection fraction (EF) between the CABG and PCI groups at 1 week after surgery, However, after 6-month of follow-up, the CABG group had a significantly lower rate of coronary artery restenosis, lower incidence of MACEs, and better cardiac function than the PCI group. Within the CABG group, the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) subgroup had a lower restenosis rate than the saphenous vein graft (SVG) subgroup. In addition, patients who had received anti-syphilis therapy had a significantly lower restenosis rate than those without anti-syphilis therapy at 6-month post-surgery.Compared with patients who received PCI, patients who received CABG had better prognoses. LIMA has a better therapeutic efficacy than SVG in terms of the restenosis rate, and anti-syphilis treatment significantly reduces the restenosis rate, compared with non-anti-syphilis treatment.

Syphilitic aortitis: still a current common cause of aneurysm of the tubular portion of ascending aorta.

Aortic syphilis today is infrequently diagnosed clinically. Described herein are findings in 5 women who had resection of a fusiform aneurysm of the tubular portion of ascending aorta, and examination of the wall of the aneurysm disclosed classic features of aortic syphilis. The 5 patients were among 36 who had ascending aortic operations at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas in 2018 and early 2019. Syphilitic aneurysm in each spared the sinus portion and involved diffusely the tubular portion of ascending aorta, beginning at the sinotubular junction. The aneurysmal wall was thicker than normal because of thickening of both intima and adventitia. The latter contained foci of lymphocytes and plasmacytes and thickened and narrowed vasa vasora. The media was disrupted by fibrous scars, which weakened the integrity of the aorta. Aortitis of the tubular portion of ascending aorta in syphilis is a diffuse process, but often is mistakenly called "atherosclerosis" which, when present in this portion of aorta, can be extensive but is focal. Aortic syphilis is important to diagnose so that patients can receive antibiotic therapy to delay, prevent, or treat neurosyphilis, a common accompaniment of aortic syphilis.

Syphilitic aortic aneurysm.

The aim of this study was to outline the clinical features of syphilitic aortic aneurysm. The study materials were based on a comprehensive literature review of publications on syphilitic aortic aneurysm published between 2000 and 2017. Syphilitic aortic aneurysm occurred most commonly in the ascending aorta in either a saccular or a fusiform shape. Syphilitic aortic aneurysm was often complicated by aortic valve insufficiency (in almost half of the patients), and by a coronary artery/ostium lesion in 16.5% of the patients. Aortic valve operation was necessary in one fourth, and coronary artery surgery accounted for less than one fifth of patients warranting a surgical treatment. Although there was no difference in the survival rates between the surgically and conservatively treated patients, an aggressive treatment should be performed when diagnosis is made due to the potential risks of aneurysm rupture and sudden death.

Rare Presentation of a Syphilitic Aneurysm of the Infrarenal Aorta with Contained Rupture.

We report, to our knowledge, the first case of a rare syphilitic infrarenal aortouniiliac aneurysm with contained rupture that presented with midepigastric abdominal pain. Review of the patient's medical history revealed untreated syphilis and poorly treated congestive heart failure. Given his comorbidities, the patient was treated with an emergent endovascular aneurysm repair. His 30-day postoperative recovery period was uneventful, and follow-up imaging revealed complete resolution of the aneurysms. Syphilitic infrarenal aortic aneurysm is currently considered a rare entity in this era of antibiotics. The present article provides a brief case report and short review of literature pertaining to syphilitic aortic aneurysms.

[Combined Open and Endovascular Repair of Multiple Aortic Aneurysms due to Syphilitic Aortitis].

The patient was a 69-year-old man who presented with low-grade fever and appetite loss. Thoracoabdominal computed tomography revealed multiple aneurysms in the distal arch and descending thoracic and infrarenal aortic regions combined with a right common iliac artery aneurysm. After endovascular stent grafting for a right iliac artery aneurysm, he underwent total arch replacement and open stent grafting for the descending thoracic aneurysms. Pathological microscopic examination revealed an inflammatory infiltrate within the adventitia and destruction of the elastic fibers in the media, which are classical features of syphilitic aortitis. Endovascular aneurysm repair is contraindicated in mycotic infected aneurysms. However, endovascular repair is useful for treating mycotic infected aneurysm, if multiple aneurysms have the possibility of rupture and a high risk of surgery.

Surgical repair for giant ascending aortic aneurysm to superior vena cava fistula with positive syphilitic test.

Syphilitic aortitis is usually associated with thoracic aortic saccular aneurysm, aortic regurgitation and coronary ostial stenosis. However, syphilitic aneurysms have rarely been reported today. Here, we report a patient with ascending aortic aneurysm with aorta-superior vena cava (SVC) fistula with positive syphilitic test. A 52-year-old man was admitted to our institution with a giant ascending aortic aneurysm complicated with SVC syndrome. Computed tomography revealed a giant ascending aneurysm 79 mm in diameter. The result of serodiagnostic tests for syphilis had not been judged yet preoperatively. Total arch replacement concomitant with elephant trunk was performed. Intraoperatively, we detected the ascending aorta to SVC fistula. Postoperatively, we suspected the syphilitic aneurysm strongly, because preoperative serodiagnostic test was concluded to be positive. However, histological examination did not show typical syphilitic features. The patient remains asymptomatic 1 year later. Although extremely rarely today, syphilitic aneurysm should be still considered in the differential diagnosis of ascending aortic aneurysm.

Successful repair of a syphilitic aortic arch aneurysm accompanied by serious cerebral infarction.

We present a 52-year-old male with a syphilitic aortic arch aneurysm accompanied by relevant extensive cerebral infarction. He was admitted to a local hospital for sudden loss of consciousness, where he was diagnosed with serious cerebral infarction. During his treatment, a multilocular aortic arch aneurysm involving the arch vessels was found incidentally. He was transferred to our hospital for surgical treatment. A preoperative routine laboratory test for syphilis was highly positive, which suggested that the aneurysm was likely caused by syphilis and the cerebral infarction was also induced by the involvement of syphilitic aortitis or arteritis. After 2 weeks of antibiotic therapy for syphilis, total arch replacement was performed successfully using meticulous brain protection with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion and deep hypothermia. He recovered without any further cerebral deficits. The pathological examination of the surgical specimen showed some characteristic changes of syphilitic aortitis.

Stent-graft implantation for clinically diagnosed syphilitic aortic aneurysm in an HIV-infected patient.

We describe our experience with stent-graft placement in a patient with a clinically diagnosed syphilitic aortic aneurysm.The patient was a 43-year-old man with syphilitic and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an aortic aneurysm with 89 mm in maximum size which was located at distal aortic arch and was considered syphilis derived saccular aneurysm. The aneurysm was judged at high risk of rupture from its shape. We decided to perform stent-graft implantation. Before surgery, the patient was given antibacterial and anti-HIV agents. Hand-made fenestrated stent graft by Tokyo Medical University was implanted. The graft was placed from the ascending aorta to Th 9 level in the descending aorta. The aneurysm completely disappeared during follow-up, with no flare-up of syphilitic infection up to 2 years after surgery.The number of patients with syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection is now increasing. Stent-graft implantation may be an effective treatment in such immunocompromised patients.

Syphilitic aneurysm of the ascending aorta.

Syphilitic aortic aneurysm is a rare occurrence in the antibiotic era, making the diagnose assumption even more infrequent. Nonetheless, this pathology can appear and should be suspected in patients with aortic aneurysm. We report a case of a 57-year old patient who presents with neurosyphilis and, in the following study, a large ascending aorta aneurysm is identified. The authors discuss the diagnostic challenge, the epidemiologic concerns, surgical indication and treatment and subsequent follow-up.

Staged surgical repair for extensive cardiovascular damage by syphilis.

A 45-year-old man had aortic regurgitation with a syphilitic true aneurysm of the ascending to transverse arch aorta and a descending aortic aneurysm from chronic Stanford type B aortic dissection. After antibiotic therapy, two-staged surgical repair was performed and there has been no evidence of recurrence in 12 months since the second stage. We describe the successful management of extensive cardiovascular syphilitic damage.

Syphilitic aortitis causing bilateral coronary ostial stenosis.

Coronary ostial stenosis in otherwise normal coronary vessels is a rare complication of syphilitic aortitis. A 47-year-old man with no coronary risk factors developed severe isolated ostial stenosis in the left main coronary artery and right coronary artery. He underwent coronary artery bypass grafting using the bilateral internal thoracic arteries and gastroepiploic artery and recovered uneventfully.