Open AccessMycotic visceral aneurysm complicating infectious endocarditis: Imaging diagnosis and follow-up
Author(s) -
Massimo Tonolini,
Marina Petullà,
Roberto Bianco
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of emergencies, trauma and shock
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.313
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 0974-519X
pISSN - 0974-2700
DOI - 10.4103/0974-2700.96501
Subject(s) - medicine , mycotic aneurysm , endocarditis , immunosuppression , infective endocarditis , intravenous drug , sepsis , radiology , aneurysm , thrombosis , surgery , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , viral disease , family medicine
One of the rarest complications of endocarditis, infected (mycotic) aneurysms result from haematogenous dissemination of septic emboli and occur more frequently in patients with cardiac valvular abnormalities or prosthetic valves, intravenous drug abuse, diabetes and immunosuppression conditions such as HIV infection. Although often clinically unsuspected, mycotic aneurysms are potentially life-threatening because of disseminated sepsis and propensity to rupture. Contrast-enhanced multidetector CT provides prompt detection, characterization and vascular mapping of these lesions, allowing correct planning of surgical or interventional therapies and reproducible follow-up. Because of their characteristically unpredictable behaviour, mycotic aneurysms may undergo spontaneous thrombosis, size reduction, rapid enlargement or rupture, therefore strict imaging surveillance with CT and/or color Doppler ultrasound is necessary.