Chronic posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta 55 Years after a blunt trauma - A case report with review of literature

Abstract

Injuries of thoracic aorta due to blunt trauma carry very high mortality rates and studies estimated that less than 2% of people who sustain it remain alive if they were not diagnosed and treated appropriately. Moreover, even those lucky few live with the risk of rupture of the Pseudoaneurysm that can develop years to decades after the causative trauma culminating in the fatal internal hemorrhage. This paper reports a case of a 72-years-old Libyan male who sustained a blunt chest injury and multiple rib fractures 55 years ago that resulted in a large pseudoaneurysm of the arch of aorta.