Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2007;31:935. doi:10.1016/j.ejcts.2007.01.063
Copyright © 2007, European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Images in cardio-thoracic surgery |
Cardiac tamponade in patient with giant thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm
Luca Ampollinia,*,
Lukla Biasib,
Laureline Bertelootc,
Tiziano Tecchiob
a Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgical Science, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
b Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgical Science, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
c Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Radiological Sciences, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
Received 27 December 2006;
received in revised form 29 January 2007;
accepted 31 January 2007.
* Corresponding author. Address: U.O. Chirurgia Toracica, Università di Parma, Azienda Ospedaliera di Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. Tel.: +39 03498483849; fax: +39 0521703559. (Email: lucampollini{at}inwind.it).
Key Words: Giant aneurysm • Thoracic aneurysm • Aortic aneurysm • Cardiac tamponade
An 84-year-old woman with history of giant thoraco-abdominal aneurysm involving the entire thoracic aorta (Fig. 1
), presented with acute chest pain, orthopnoea and hypotension. Contrast CT-scan showed a pericardial effusion (Fig. 2
): 900 cc of haematic fluid was evacuated by subxyphoideal pericardiocentesis. The patient was discharged home in 2 weeks.
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Fig. 1. Chest X-ray (first radiological finding, may 2002): huge widening of the mediastinal shadow. Thorax CT-scan (radiological control, June 2004): coronal reconstruction of the aortic aneurysm. In 2002, the patient was judged inoperable and a radiological follow-up consisting in thoraco-abdominal CT-scan every 6 months was decided (the patient was followed elsewhere).
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Fig. 2. (A) Chest CT-scan showing circumferential pericardial effusion. (B) Chest CT-scan after pericardial drainage. Neither surgical nor endovascular treatment for aneurysm was indicated. After 3-months-period the patient is alive and the radiological follow-up will continue as previously planned elsewhere.
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