Vascular
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Case Reports
Abdominal aortic aneurysm with aortocaval fistula and a separate retroperitoneal rupture.
The occurrence of an aortocaval fistula (ACF) secondary to an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is uncommon and is often undiagnosed prior to AAA repair. Clinical signs may be subtle or absent; therefore, diagnosis requires a high suspicion and knowledge of this phenomenon. We present a case of the rarest form of ACF (type 4) in which an AAA and an occult ACF were associated with a second site of retroperitoneal rupture. The ruptured AAA and ACF were successfully managed with fistula ligation and aortic graft placement.
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Deep venous thrombosis with or without subsequent pulmonary embolism is a common preventable cause of hospital death. Although anticoagulation is the accepted standard therapy for thromboembolic disease, in situations in which anticoagulation is contraindicated, interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC) by means of percutaneous placement of a filter has become a widely used alternative. We report our initial experience with two retrievable IVC filters. ⋯ Neither filter migration nor caval injury was observed. Temporary IVC filters are effective and are associated with a high retrieval success rate. Further study is warranted to determine the maximal duration of implantation and whether retrievable IVC filters should expand the indications for IVC filter placement.