Download PDF
CC BY 4.0 · Aorta (Stamford) 2016; 04(03): 102-104
DOI: 10.12945/j.aorta.2016.16.006
Case Report
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The Migration of Air into the Aorta from a Pneumothorax in a Patient with a Penetrating Injury of the Aorta

Youichi Yanagawa
1   Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
,
Akihiko Kondo
2   Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nerima Hospital, Juntendo University, Nerima ku, Tokyo, Japan
,
Toshihiko Yoshizawa
1   Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
,
Kei Jitsuiki
1   Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
,
Takahito Miyake
3   Department of Orthopedics, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
,
Hiromichi Ohsaka
1   Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University, Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
,
Manabu Sugita
2   Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nerima Hospital, Juntendo University, Nerima ku, Tokyo, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

02 February 2016

12 April 2016

Publication Date:
24 September 2018 (online)

   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

A tree fell on the back of a 77-year-old male. A postmortem computed tomographic pan scan revealed systemic air embolism, multiple rib fractures with a penetrating injury to the aorta, pneumohemothorax, and air in the aorta. A massive amount of air entered the site of a penetrating injury of the aorta. This unique case adds one more cause to the list of documented etiologies of air in the aorta.

Key Words

Penetrating injury of aorta - Rib fracture - Pneumothorax
 

  • References

  • 1 Nakamura Y, Tagusari O, Seike Y, Ito Y. Persistence of intra-aortic air after circulatory arrest. J Vasc Surg 2010; 52: 1061 . DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2009.10.111
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Kutlu R, Nisanoğlu V. Air within the aneurysm sac following endovascular management of abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient with acute pancreatitis. Diagn Interv Radiol 2009; 15: 153-156 . PMID: 19517388
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Pando Sandoval A, Ariza Prota MA, García Clemente M, Prieto A, Fole Vázquez D, Casán P. Air embolism: a complication of computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle biopsy. Respirol Case Rep 2015; 3: 48-50 . DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.97
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 El-Sayed Ahmed MM, Aftab M, de la Cruz KI, Delgado 3rd RM, Mallidi HR. Circular air-filled space in the aortic knob: a rare radiologic finding. Tex Heart Inst J 2014; 41: 560-561 . DOI: 10.14503/THIJ-13-3966
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 van der Zee MP, Koene BM, Mariani MA. Fatal air embolism during cardiopulmonary bypass: analysis of an incident and prevention measures. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2014; 19: 875-877 . DOI: 10.1093/icvts/ivu242
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Laurent PE, Coulange M, Desfeux J, Bartoli C, Coquart B, Vidal V. , et al. Post-mortem computed tomography in a case of suicide by air embolism. Diagn Interv Imaging 2013; 94: 460-462 . DOI: 10.1016/j.diii.2013.01.014
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Laurent PE, Coulange M, Mancini J, Bartoli C, Desfeux J, Piercecchi-Marti MD. , et al. Postmortem CT appearance of gas collections in fatal diving accidents. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2014; 203: 468-475 . DOI: 10.2214/AJR.13.12063
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Dedouit F, Otal P, Loubes-Lacroix F, Rousseau H, Costagliola R, Telmon N. , et al. Post-traumatic venous and systemic air embolism associated with spinal epidural emphysema: multi-slice computed tomography diagnosis. Forensic Sci Int 2006; 158: 190-4
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Pagel PS, Klinger JE, Colwell EM, Rashid ZA. “Air” in the aortic arch after cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass: devastating complication or benign explanation?. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2015; 29: 542-544 . DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2014.08.017
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar

    • References

    • 1 Yanagawa Y, Kaneko N, Hagiwara A, Kimura T, Isoda S. Delayed sudden cardiac arrest induced by aortic injury with a posterior fracture of the left rib. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008; 56: 91-92 . DOI: 10.1007/s11748-007-0186-7
      CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar