European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Vol 11, 994-996, Copyright © 1997 by European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Aorto-pulmonary fistula: a rare event in the evolution of a dissecting aneurysm of the thoracic aorta
M Massetti, G Babatasi, E Saloux, S Bhoyroo and A Khayat
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department, University Hospital, Caen, France.
The natural history of a thoracic aneurysm is usually towards the
dissection or free rupture; rarely an aorto-pulmonary fistula can
complicate this lesion. We present two cases of Aorto-pulmonary fistula as
acute complication of an aneurysm of thoracic aorta; the etiopathology seem
to be related to the same mechanism: a dissecting aneurysm of the ascending
aorta leading to a secondary fistulation in the main pulmonary artery. In
our two cases the diagnosis was suggested by clinical findings and by
Doppler-echocardiography. Both patients were managed surgically with
success and both survived.