Recurrent aortic-arch pseudoaneurysm eroding into the left main bronchus following descending thoracic aortic stent repair

Abstract

Background: Behcet's disease (BD) is a form of systematic vasculitis that affects vessels of various sizes anywhere in the body. Aortic pseudoaneurysm is the most hazardous lesion in Behcet's disease (BD) and is associated with high mortality rates once rupture. Case presentation: In this report, we present a patient with known history of Behcet's disease (BD), whose recurrent aortic-arch pseudoaneurysm eroding into the left main bronchus was identified after a 4-year duration of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) for thoracic descending aortic pseudoaneurysm ruptured into the left lung. Repeated endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) combined with the chimney stent effectively controlled massive haemoptysis under life-threatening conditions, and the patient was good condition at the 5-year follow-up. Conclusions: Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) can be used as an effective and problem-solving treatment approach for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) eroding into the lung, even recurrent pseudoaneurysm after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in BD patients. Among the imaging techniques assessing the technical success, outcome and complications, CT angiography (CTA) offers a fast, accessible and sensitive imaging modality.