Secondary Aortoduodenal Fistula Presenting as Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Fungemia

Abstract

A 55-year-old African American man with a history of abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm repair presented to the ED with complaints of black-colored stools mixed with fresh blood and fever for three days duration. The exam was unremarkable except for abdominal bruits and pallor. CT angiogram showed perigraft fluid collection, bowel wall thickening, and loss of normal fat planes between the aorta and adjacent bowel at the level of the third portion of the duodenum. Polymicrobial infection was noted in the aortic graft and blood cultures grew Candida. The patient underwent urgent removal of the infected graft, duodenal repair along with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. He did well postoperatively and was discharged in a stable condition. Our case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion of aortoenteric fistula (AEF) when a patient with a prior abdominal aortic graft develops gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding as this condition is universally fatal if unrecognized.

Keywords: aortic graft; aortoenteric fistula; candida; fungemia; gi bleed; polymicrobial; revascularisation; sepsis.

Figure 1. Upper endoscopy images showing aortic graft showing aortic graft material (A) eroding into the third part of the duodenum (B).