Thickening of the pulmonary artery wall in acute intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta.
BACKGROUND
The occurrence of pulmonary artery obstruction in the course of acute aortic dissection is an unusual complication. The mechanism implicated is the rupture of the outer layer of the aorta and the subsequent hemorrhage into the adventitia of the pulmonary artery that causes its wall thickening and, at times, produces extrinsic obstruction of the vessel. There are no reports of this complication in acute intramural hematoma.


METHODS
An 87-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital in shock after having had severe chest pain followed by syncope. An urgent transesophageal echocardiogram revealed the presence of acute intramural hematoma, no evidence of aortic dissection, severe pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade, and periaortic hematoma that involved the pulmonary artery generating circumferential wall thickening of its trunk and right branch with no evidence of flow obstruction. Urgent surgery was performed but the patient died in the operating room. The post mortem examination, in the operating room, confirmed that there was an extensive hematoma around the aorta and beneath the adventitial layer of the pulmonary artery, with no evidence of flow obstruction.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first time that this rare complication is reported in the scenario of acute intramural hematoma and with the transesophageal echocardiogram as the diagnostic tool.
Munín
Martín
M
Department of Echocardiography, CEMIC, Hospital Universitario Saavedra, Av, E, Galván 4102 Capital Federal Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina. mmunin@gmail.com
Goerner
María S
MS
Lombardero
Martín
M
Sanchez
Gustavo
G
Redondo
Juan C Pereira
JC
Spernanzoni
Fernando
F
Lardani
Héctor
H
Torres
Víctor
V
D000208:Acute Disease; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011666:Pulmonary Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*