Acute aortic occlusion in a child secondary to lap-belt injury treated with thromboendarterectomy and primary repair

• Published in: Journal of vascular surgery 2011-08, Vol.54 (2), p.515-518
• Main Authors: West, Charles A., MD, Johnson, Lester W., MD, Doucet, Linda, RN, Shah, Mitali, MD, Khan, Imtiaz, MD, Heldmann, Maureen, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic; Acute Disease; Aorta, Abdominal - diagnostic imaging; Aorta, Abdominal - injuries; Aorta, Abdominal - surgery; Aortic Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Diseases - etiology; Aortic Diseases - surgery; Aortography - methods; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - etiology; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Child; Diseases of the aorta; Endarterectomy; Female; Humans; Ischemia - etiology; Lower Extremity - blood supply; Lumbar Vertebrae - injuries; Medical sciences; Seat Belts - adverse effects; Spinal Fractures - etiology; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Thrombosis - diagnostic imaging; Thrombosis - etiology; Thrombosis - surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Vascular surgery: aorta, extremities, vena cava. Surgery of the lymphatic vessels; Vascular System Injuries - diagnostic imaging; Vascular System Injuries - etiology; Vascular System Injuries - surgery
• ISSN: 0741-5214; 1097-6809
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2010.12.031

Abdominal aortic injury as a result of blunt trauma is a rare event and has been described in few children. A 6-year-old girl presented with acute bilateral lower extremity ischemia, and a triad of acute aortic occlusion, intra-abdominal visceral injury, and a lumbar chance fracture after sustaining a seat belt injury from a motor vehicle collision. An emergency aortic thromboendarterectomy and primary repair were performed. This represents one of the few reports of acute traumatic aortic thrombosis in a child and highlights the surgical treatment of acute abdominal aortic injury in a pediatric patient.