title: Spiral CT in an acute spontaneous aorto-caval fistula.
abstract: A patient with a known infrarenal atherosclerotic aneurysm measuring 8 cm presented with sudden dyspnoe, lower back pain and enormous venous congestion of the lower extremities. Spiral CT rendered precise diagnosis and localisation of a large and acute spontaneous aorto-caval fistula and made early surgical intervention possible. Abdominal aorto-caval fistulas are rare complications and can occur after surgery, trauma or spontaneously in an atherosclerotic or inflammatory aneurysm. Spiral CT enables a rapid and precise diagnosis facilitating the planning of the therapeutic approach to this complication.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unterweger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pretre
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marincek
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D003287:Contrast Media; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology; D004487:Edema / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media