Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2009;36:585. doi:10.1016/j.ejcts.2009.05.016
Copyright © 2009, European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.
Images in cardio-thoracic surgery |
Unusual complication after mitral valve surgery in a systemic lupus erythematosus patient — giant postoperative thoracic seroma
Martin Martineka,*,
Gernot Boehmb,
Hans-Joachim Nesserc,d
a Department of Cardiology, Elisabethinen Public Hospital, Fadingerstrasse 1, 4010 Linz, Austria
b Department of Radiology, Elisabethinen Public Hospital, Fadingerstrasse 1, 4010 Linz, Austria
c University Teaching Hospital of the University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
d University Teaching Hospital of the University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Received 15 April 2009;
received in revised form 14 May 2009;
accepted 18 May 2009.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +43 732 7676 4919; fax: +43 732 7676 3289. (Email: martin.martinek{at}elisabethinen.or.at).
Key Words: Mitral valve surgery • Thoracic seroma • Systemic lupus erythematosus • Complication
We report a case of a female systemic lupus erythematosus patient developing a giant postoperative seroma after mitral valve surgery (partial decortication and mechanical valve). A computed tomography (CT) scan disclosed a huge fluid collection with an extension from the jugulum to the diaphragm (20 cm x 10 cm x 6 cm) with a total compression of the right ventricle (Figs. 1 and 2
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Fig. 1. Computed tomography imaging: (A) sagittal view, (B) coronal view, and (C) axial view. Dotted line: seroma. A (anterior), I (inferior), L (left), P (posterior), R (right), S (superior).
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Fig. 2. Computed tomography imaging – 3D reconstructions: (A) anterior-posterior view, (B) modified left lateral view, and (C) modified right lateral view. Dotted line: seroma.
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