Fístula aorto-duodenal primaria: caso clínico / Primary aorto-duodenal fistula: clinical case

Resumen Introducción Las fístulas aorto-entéricas (FAE) son una causa infrecuente de hemorragia digestiva. El pronóstico, generalmente ominoso, depende de una alta sospecha clínica y diagnóstico oportuno. Caso clínico Reportamos el caso de una mujer de 66 años intervenida por un aneurisma sacular aórtico abdominal (AAA) yuxtarrenal, con rotura contenida, fistulizado al duodeno. Presentó una hemorragia digestiva en el preoperatorio; sin embargo, el diagnóstico de la fístula se hizo en el intraoperatorio. La paciente fue sometida a reparación quirúrgica urgente con instalación de una prótesis aórtica bifemoral y resección duodenal. En el postoperatorio inmediato presentó una trombosis parcial de las ramas de la prótesis aórtica e isquemia de extremidades, siendo reintervenida exitosamente. Discusión La FAE es una causa potencialmente fatal de hemorragia digestiva. El diagnóstico continúa siendo un desafío debido a su presentación inespecífica y siempre debiese ser considerado frente a una hemorragia digestiva sin causa aparente. Existen varias opciones para el enfrentamiento quirúrgico que deben ser analizadas caso a caso, sin retrasar la reparación de la fístula. Es preferible la resección duodenal ante la simple duodenorrafia.

Introduction Aorto-enteric fistulae (AEF) are a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. The prognosis tends to be ominous, depending greatly in a high level of clinical suspicion and prompt diagnosis. Clinical case We report a case of a 66-year-old female with a saccular juxta-renal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), with a contained rupture. The patient was urgently submitted to surgical repair using an bifemoral aortic prosthesis. A duodenal partial resection was performed. During the immediate postoperative time she presented partial thrombosis of prosthesis and ischemia of lower extremities so she was reoperated successfully. Discussion AEF is a potentially fatal cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. Diagnosis is still troublesome due to its vague presentation and it should always be considered when facing gastrointestinal haemorrhage with no apparent cause. There are several surgical approaches that should be pondered case to case without delaying the repair of the defect.

Disección aórtica tipo A: Resultados operatorios y seguimiento a mediano plazo / Surgical results among 100 patients with type A aortic dissection: Retrospective review

Background: Tipe A aortic dissection involves the ascending aorta and has high mortality rates without surgical treatment. Aim: To report the results of surgical treatment of type A aortic dissection. Material and Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of 100 patients aged 17 to 78 years (73 percent males) operated between January 2000 and August 2008, for type A aortic dissection. Follow up was performed with telephone interviews and review of national death records. Results: Eighty three percent of patients had an acute dissection. Operative mortality was 27 and 20 percent for patients with acute and chronic dissection, respectively. Mortality was 50 percent among patients aged 70 years or more, compared with 21 percent among their younger counterparts, The most common complication was bleeding that required a new surgical procedure in 18 percent of patients. Actuarial survival was 70 percent at five years. Cardiovascular problems caused the death of two of the nine patients that died during follow up. Conclusions: Surgical mortality among patients with type A aortic dissection was higher among patients with acute episodes and those aged 70 years or more.