A medical epopee: recurrent fungal endocarditis, heart transplantation and chylopericardium.

BACKGROUND: Candida prosthetic endocarditis is associated with high mortality rates and valve replacement surgery, together with antifungal treatment, play a major role in eradicating the fungal infection. Valve reoperations in these scenarios may be relatively common due to the high infection relapse rates and, in some cases, heart transplantation may be an imposing therapy for infection resolution and for the heart failure related to the myocardial reoperation injury. Among the many postoperative complications related to heart transplantation, chylopericardium is a rare but challenging example. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 55-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with a 1-month history of progressive dyspnea and fatigue. His past medical history included four open-heart surgeries for aortic and mitral valve replacement due to recurrent Candida parapsilosis infective endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a markedly reduced left ventricular systolic function and normofunctioning bioprosthetic valves. An inotropic dependency condition led to heart transplantation surgery. In the early postoperative period, a persistent chylous fluid started to drain from the pericardial tube, compatible with the diagnosis of chylopericardium. The lack of clinical response to total parenteral nutrition and intravenous infusion of octreotide imposed the need of interventional radiology with diagnostic lymphography through cisterna chyli puncture and thoracic duct catheterization, confirming the presence of a lymphatic fistula. A successful treatment outcome was achieved with percutaneous thoracic duct embolization using coils and n-butyl-cyanoacrilate glue, possibiliting hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Fungal endocarditis requires combined treatment (surgical and antimicrobial) for eradication. Valve replacement, while necessary, may lead to severe ventricular deterioration and heart transplantation may be the only viable therapeutic solution. Among the several postoperative complications of heart transplantation, chylopericardium is an uncommon and defiant example. Advances in interventional radiology like the percutaneous embolization allow a less invasive and highly efficient approach for this complication.

Use of carbon dioxide for therapeutic decision-making in endoleaks: a case report.

Endovascular aneurysm repair is currently the most frequently treatment modality for infrarenal aortic aneurysms. Endoleaks are the most common cause of reintervention after endovascular aneurysm repair. It is often unclear which type of endoleak is the correct diagnose, making the treatment decision difficult. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with an endoleak two years after endovascular aneurysm repair. Images suggested a type III endoleak, but this was not confirmed by contrast aortography. We proceeded with the investigation using aortography with carbon dioxide and observed a type IA endoleak. This was successfully treated by implantation of a proximal cuff. A review of the literature shows that the role of carbon dioxide in endoleak management is still unclear. We present a case in which carbon dioxide was essential to both diagnosis and therapeutic decision-making in a type IA endoleak.

O tratamento endovascular dos aneurismas de aorta abdominal é atualmente a modalidade de tratamento mais comum. Os endoleaks representam a causa mais frequente de reintervenção após o tratamento endovascular. O diagnóstico do tipo de endoleak frequentemente é incerto, tornando o tratamento desafiador. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente de 72 anos, com endoleak após 2 anos de tratamento endovascular de aneurisma de aorta abdominal. Os exames de imagem pré-operatórios sugeriam um endoleak tipo III; entretanto, durante aortografia com contraste iodado, não foi possível identificá-lo. Optamos por realizar aortografia com dióxido de carbono (CO2), sendo, então, identificado um endoleak tipo IA, que foi tratado com sucesso com o uso de uma extensão (cuff) proximal. O papel do CO2 no diagnóstico de endoleaks ainda não está claro. Relatamos um caso em que o uso do CO2 foi essencial para o diagnóstico e para a decisão de tratamento do endoleak tipo IA.

Use of carbon dioxide for therapeutic decision-making in endoleaks: a case report / Uso de CO2 na tomada de decisão terapêutica de endoleak: relato de caso

Abstract Endovascular aneurysm repair is currently the most frequently treatment modality for infrarenal aortic aneurysms. Endoleaks are the most common cause of reintervention after endovascular aneurysm repair. It is often unclear which type of endoleak is the correct diagnose, making the treatment decision difficult. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with an endoleak two years after endovascular aneurysm repair. Images suggested a type III endoleak, but this was not confirmed by contrast aortography. We proceeded with the investigation using aortography with carbon dioxide and observed a type IA endoleak. This was successfully treated by implantation of a proximal cuff. A review of the literature shows that the role of carbon dioxide in endoleak management is still unclear. We present a case in which carbon dioxide was essential to both diagnosis and therapeutic decision-making in a type IA endoleak.

Resumo O tratamento endovascular dos aneurismas de aorta abdominal é atualmente a modalidade de tratamento mais comum. Os endoleaks representam a causa mais frequente de reintervenção após o tratamento endovascular. O diagnóstico do tipo de endoleak frequentemente é incerto, tornando o tratamento desafiador. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente de 72 anos, com endoleak após 2 anos de tratamento endovascular de aneurisma de aorta abdominal. Os exames de imagem pré-operatórios sugeriam um endoleak tipo III; entretanto, durante aortografia com contraste iodado, não foi possível identificá-lo. Optamos por realizar aortografia com dióxido de carbono (CO2), sendo, então, identificado um endoleak tipo IA, que foi tratado com sucesso com o uso de uma extensão (cuff) proximal. O papel do CO2 no diagnóstico de endoleaks ainda não está claro. Relatamos um caso em que o uso do CO2 foi essencial para o diagnóstico e para a decisão de tratamento do endoleak tipo IA.