Abstract
A pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta (PAAA) is a rare but life-threatening late complication of cardiac surgery. In a 14-year-old patient, a giant PAAA (9 × 8 cm) developed two years after subaortic membrane resection, accompanied by systemic inflammation (fever, elevated CRP, IL-6, IL-1β) and severe chest pain. Echocardiography and CT revealed a thin-walled aneurysmal sac communicating with the aorta via a narrow neck, requiring urgent surgery. Resternotomy, peripheral cannulation, cardiopulmonary bypass at 32 °C, resection of the false aneurysm, and patch repair with xenopericardium were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, with normalization of inflammatory markers. Histology showed chronic inflammation and necrosis, indicating connective tissue pathology. This case highlights the importance of long-term monitoring after pediatric cardiac surgery and assessing inflammation markers as predictors of aortic wall dilation.
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About the authors
- Ilya D. Zamotin, Postgraduate, Cardiac Surgeon; ORCID
- Mikhail M. Shved, Сardiovascular Surgeon, Head of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit No. 2; ORCID
- Albert S. Garipov, Postgraduate, Cardiologist; ORCID
- Yuriy I. Linnik, Сardiovascular Surgeon, Head of the Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery; ORCID
- Konstantin V. Drozdovskiy, Cand. Med. Sci., Associate Professor, Сardiovascular Surgeon, Director; ORCID
