Fatal Case of a Contained Ruptured of the Infrarenal Aorta due to Simultaneous Primary Aortocaval Fistula and Aortoenteric Fistula

Abstract

We report an extremely rare case of primary aortocaval fistula with simultaneous development of an aortoenteric fistula in a 68-year-old man. The patient developed under oral anticoagulation a spontaneous intracaval aortic rupture. An emergency intervention was performed with a covering of the fistula with an aorto-uniiliac stent graft and a femoro-femoral crossover bypass. One week later, the patient was transferred to our institution with the diagnosis of a psoas abscess and a suspected concomitant aortoenteric fistula. We performed a complete explantation of the endograft and implanted it after extensive debridement an aortobiiliac bypass, made of bovine pericardium. The postoperative course was complicated, first by bleeding from the left iliac anastomosis, and then by bleeding from the proximal aortic anastomosis. The entire graft was explanted and an axillo-femoral bypass was implanted. The patient then developed a multi-organ failure and died 3 months later. If possible, an extended surgical debridement and resection of all infected tissue with in situ reconstruction is the gold standard. However, with this therapy, there is still a high risk of reinfection. Long-term antibiotic management is mandatory.