title: Extrinsic erosion of the descending aorta by a vertebral fixator.
abstract: We report a rare case in which mechanical extrinsic erosion of the descending thoracic aorta resulted in perforation and periaortic hematoma formation in a 16-year-old girl. Five months before admission to our clinic, the patient had undergone surgical spondylosyndesis with inner vertebral fixation, for the correction of scoliosis. Subsequently, a screw on the fixator became loose, eroding and eventually perforating the wall of the descending aorta. The resultant lesion was at first misdiagnosed as a paravertebral abscess; extrinsic perforation of the descending aorta was suspected prior to operation, but was confirmed only upon surgical exploration. After evacuation of the hematoma, the 1.5-cm aortic perforation was closed directly with continuous sutures. Seven months later, the patient continues to do well.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Surgery, Medical University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sokolić
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ugljen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biocina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simunić
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Slobodnjak