Endovascular aortic graft infection resulting in retroperitoneal abscess: report of a case

Infection is a rare complication of aortoiliac endovascular procedures, with an incidence inferior to 0.5%, and it may result in a retroperitoneal abscess potentially evolving to sepsis and gastrointestinal bleeding. In more than 50% of cases endovascular aortoiliac prosthetic grafts infection occur...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Salvatore Di Somma, Chiara Serena Gori, Michela Del Parco, Marco Alfano, Laura Magrini, Enrico Ferri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2010-06-01
Series:Emergency Care Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/ecj/article/view/1200
Description
Summary:Infection is a rare complication of aortoiliac endovascular procedures, with an incidence inferior to 0.5%, and it may result in a retroperitoneal abscess potentially evolving to sepsis and gastrointestinal bleeding. In more than 50% of cases endovascular aortoiliac prosthetic grafts infection occur months or years after the procedure. The growing number of endovascular procedures, and as the actually midterm follow up in most cases, septic sequelae will no doubt continue to occur with increased frequency and may represent an emerging problem in the ED for the emergency physician. Endovascular graft infection begins with unspecific clinical manifestations. An high index of suspicion in any patient with an aortic stent graft presenting prolonged or recurrent fever and or abdominal or back pain and a low threshold for obtaining CT scan should increase the clinician’s ability to make a timely diagnosis in the ED setting.
ISSN:1826-9826
2282-2054