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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Murine Surgical Model of Topical Elastase Induced Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
Published on: August 24, 2019
Paraneoplatic Obstruction of Descending Thoracic Aorta: A New Indication for Endovascular Surgery?
Luigi Di Tommaso1, Ettorino Di Tommaso1, Raffaele Giordano1
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, School of Medicine, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Abstract:
We describe the rare case of a 61-year-old man admitted to our emergency department with visceral-organ and lower-limb malperfusion because of an unknown retroperitoneal high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and a severe paraneoplastic obstruction of the descending thoracic aorta, treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the patient was discharged within 4 days. At 6-month follow-up, computed tomography showed complete patency of the descending thoracic aorta. This single case experience shows that thoracic endovascular aortic repair can be a less invasive and effective off-label alternative to exclude infiltrated or obstructed descending thoracic aorta, thus avoiding conventional surgery.
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