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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Rep 2016; 05(01): 65-67
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1584268
Case Report: Vascular
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Chronic Perforation of the Aortic Arch by Kirschner Wires

T. Dung Nguyen
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
,
Tim Sandhaus
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
,
Torsten Doenst
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

01 March 2016

27 April 2016

Publication Date:
13 June 2016 (online)

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Abstract

Perforation of the heart or great vessels by orthopedic wires is a rare complication that mostly results in severe or even lethal organ injury. Therefore, such conditions mostly require immediate surgical removal of the wires. However, in some individual cases, a conservative approach may be preferable. We describe a case of a 70-year-old woman whose aortic arch has been penetrated by two Kirschner wires used for fixation of a right clavicle fracture 13 years ago. Notably, the complication was an incidental finding during computed tomography angiography for clarification of transient nonspecific neurological symptoms.

Keywords

Kirschner wires - aortic arch - perforation - conservative approach
 

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