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Case Reports
. 2024 Aug 1;7(3):63.
doi: 10.3390/reports7030063.

Multimodal Management of a Descending Aorta Injury with Penetrating Chest Trauma: A Case Report

Giuseppe Sena  1 , Paolo Perri  2 , Paolo Piro  2 , Francesco Zinno  3 , Daniela Mazzuca  4 , Davide Costa  5   6 , Raffaele Serra  5   6
Affiliations
Case Reports

Multimodal Management of a Descending Aorta Injury with Penetrating Chest Trauma: A Case Report

Giuseppe Sena et al. Reports (MDPI). .

Abstract

A penetrating thoracic aorta injury (PTAI) is a life-threatening condition with significant morbidity and mortality, often resulting from several traumatic mechanisms. Among these, gunshot wounds leading to aortic injury are exceedingly rare and pose unique challenges in terms of diagnosis, management, and surgical intervention. We present a case of a 47-year-old male victim of a gunshot wound resulting in penetrating chest trauma and a descending thoracic aorta injury. This report outlines the sequential management involving thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), followed by surgical intervention for hematoma drainage and foreign body removal, highlighting the interdisciplinary approach required in managing complex cardiothoracic injuries.

Keywords: TEVAR; blood transfusions; descending aorta injury; emergency transfusions; gunshot-wound-related emergency; mediastinal hematoma; penetrating chest trauma; thoracotomy; trauma surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CTA of the chest revealing penetrating thoracic aorta injury (transversal view). Yellow arrow shows the bullet.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CTA of the chest revealing penetrating thoracic aorta injury (sagittal view).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intraoperative delivery and release phases deployment of Thoracic endovascular stent graft excluding the aortic injury.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Post-TEVAR angiography showing proper graft placement.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Chest CTA at 1 month after discharge.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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