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Ann Thorac Surg 2003;75:1998-2006
© 2003 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Review

Postoperative aortic fistulas into the airways: etiology, pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis, and management

^a Cardiac Surgery Department, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy
^b Chair of Cardiac Surgery, "Tor Vergata" University of Rome, Rome, Italy

^* Address reprint requests to Dr Chiariello, Cattedra di Cardiochirurgia, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata," European Hospital, Via Portuense 700, 00149, Rome, Italy

Postoperative aortobronchial and aortopulmonary fistulas are rare and late complications of cardiac surgery. They mostly complicate descending thoracic aortic procedures. Hemoptysis is the main symptom, and may be massive or intermittent. The reported interval between the time of operation and the onset of hemoptysis ranges from 3 weeks to 25 years. Diagnostic examinations are often unable to directly visualize a fistula. Indication for surgical or endovascular repair mostly relies on clinical suspicion and nonspecific diagnostic features. Urgent treatment is based on the association of the following elements: (1) hemoptysis, (2) history of previous cardiac or aortic operation, (3) presence of lung infiltrates on the chest roentgenogram, (4) lung hemorrage on the computed tomographic scan, and (5) and visualization of a pseudoaneurysm. Aortobronchopulmonary fistulas are uniformly fatal if untreated. The overall surgical mortality rate is 15.3%. There is no procedure-related mortality after endovascular stent grafting. A review of the English-language literature from 1947 to October 2002 is presented.

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