Syphilitic aortitis: an uncommon cause of acquired aortopulmonary fistula.
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19853135.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2009.03.018.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Cardiovascular syphilis has become a medical curiosity with the advent of widespread use of penicillin for the treatment of early syphilis. We report a case of a 37-year-old man who presented with sudden onset breathlessness that worsened insidiously for 1 year. Diagnosis of syphilitic aortopulmonary fistula was confirmed by aortography, contrast computed tomography, and histopathology. The patient underwent successful surgical correction. A high level of suspicion and awareness is needed for the diagnosis of this now rare disease. This entity is only amenable to surgical correction, even as existing surgical techniques need constant improvisation and individualization to each patient.
Medical subject headings
- Aorta, Thoracic
- Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic
- Pulmonary Artery
- Syphilis, Cardiovascular
- Vascular Fistula