[Successful surgical treatment of ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm into the lung]

A 62-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of massive hemoptysis. Chest X-ray film, CT scan and IADSA demonstrated a large aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, extending from the ascending aorta to the descending aorta. Bronchoscopy revealed bleeding from left B1+2. Six days after the onset, replacement of the thoracic aorta with woven Dacron prosthetic graft, autoclaved after immersion in albumin, was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass and separate cerebral perfusion (700 ml/min) under moderate hypothermia (25 degrees C). Left upper lobe of the lung, adherent tightly to the posterior and medial wall of the aneurysm, was not dissected because bleeding from left bronchus was trivial even after systemic heparinization. Because of the cardiac dilatation, delayed chest closure was needed. Postoperative cardiac failure, necessitating much catecholamine support, was seen with gradual improvement and no neurological deficit was recognized. He was discharged from the hospital without any sequelae 2 months after the onset. Pathologic diagnosis was an atherosclerotic aneurysm.