Acute traumatic dissection and blunt rupture of the thoracic descending aorta: A case report

Rupture of the thoracic aorta following blunt trauma is increasing in incidence and remains a highly lethal injury. Blunt traumatic rupture and acute dissection of the thoracic aorta is very rare. A 50-year-old man involved in a motor vehicle accident on March 3, 1998 was admitted to our hospital one and a half hours following the accident. On admission, he was alert and his hemodynamics were stable. Chest roentgenogram demonstrated a widened mediastinum and multiple left-sided rib fractures. Enhanced chest CT revealed a periaortic hematoma just distal to the isthmus, dissection of the descending thoracic aorta and mediastinal hematoma. With the diagnosis of thoracic aortic rupture and acute DeBakey type IIIB dissection, an emergency operation was performed. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram showed a mobile intimal flap and diminished caliber of the proximal descending aorta. Disruption and dissection of the descending thoracic aorta were found. Prosthetic graft interposition was accomplished with the aid of left atrium-left femoral artery bypass using a centrifugal pump and heparin-coated circuits and a blood collection device for blood conservation. The weak dissected aortic wall was glued and reapproximated with Gelatine-Resorcine-Formol glue. The postoperative course was uneventful.