Three Cases of Large-Diameter True Brachial and Axillary Artery Aneurysm and a Review of the Literature

Surgical Treatment of Multiple Venous and Arterial Aneurysms Due to Arteriovenous Malformations of the Arm

Introduction

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare, especially in elderly patients. Occasionally, AVM can produce aneurysmal degenerations, which can lead to bleeding or rupture. The aim of this case report was to describe the surgical treatment of large arterial and venous aneurysms in the arm associated with an AVM.

Report

An 83 year old woman of White ethnicity who was a non-smoker presented with a large pulsatile aneurysm at the left elbow with paresis of the first three fingers. The diagnosis was made by duplex ultrasonography (DUS), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and arteriography. Additional tests confirmed aneurysms of the brachial artery and the outflow veins, with the largest more than 7 cm in diameter. A very proximal brachial artery bifurcation and increased venous flow were noted. DUS confirmed the AVM by showing continuous flow in the axillary vein. The decision for surgical resection involved vascular surgeons, radiologists, angiologists, and anaesthetists. Treatment involved opening and excision of multiple venous aneurysms and AVMs. A short segment of the aneurysmal brachial artery was also resected and repaired with end to end anastomosis. The deep brachial artery which supplied AVMs and venous aneurysms was ligated and excision of these lesions was performed. At one year follow up, there were no complications and the revascularisation was patent.

Discussion

Arterial and venous aneurysms occurring together with AVMs are rare and not well documented in the medical literature. In this case, surgical intervention, including resection with direct anastomosis of the arterial aneurysm coupled with excision of venous aneurysms and AVM, proved to be effective, as evidenced by stable post-operative outcomes after one year.

Ischemic Complication of a Rare Traumatic True Brachial Artery Aneurysm: A Case Report

True brachial artery aneurysms are rare. We present the case of a 47-year-old male who was referred to our clinic for the evaluation of progressive right arm claudication. He had suffered a gunshot wound in the right elbow 16 years before his symptoms. Computed tomography angiography revealed a thrombosed true brachial artery aneurysm. The patient was placed in the operating room, and aneurysm resection and reconstruction were performed using an interposition saphenous vein graft. His postoperative period was uneventful, and 1 year after the procedure, he remained asymptomatic. True brachial artery aneurysms associated with remote traumas are rare. This case illustrates the clinical presentation and successful management of arterial reconstruction using an autologous vein graft.

Axillary artery aneurysm in a construction worker, presentation of a rare case

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Axillary artery aneurysm is a rare anomaly in the vascular system of the upper extremity. Most of these aneurysms are false aneurysms and secondary to trauma. They can cause compressive symptoms as well as thromboembolic events leading to limb loss or even rupture as a life-threatening complication.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 33-year-old man came to the vascular clinic with the complaint of a pulsating mass in his axilla from 2 months ago. He had mild pain in his arm and the mass was palpable in his axillary fossa. It was pulsating and non-tender on touch. CT angiography revealed the aneurysm and the patient was treated surgically using reversed greater saphenous vein for replacing the aneurysmal segment of the artery.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Axillary artery aneurysms may be true or false. Duplex scan and CT angiography can reliably differentiate them from each other. When the diagnosis is confirmed, open and endovascular approaches can be used to treat these vascular anomalies.

CONCLUSION

When a patient has an axillary mass, axillary artery aneurysm is one of the differential diagnoses and any clinician should keep this entity in his mind when approaching axillary masses.

Hybrid Approach of a Complex Aneurysm of the Subclavian-Axillary-Brachial Axis: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Upper extremity arterial aneurysms are a rare, potentially limb-threatening disorder. Due to its rarity, the best treatment modality and outcomes are not entirely established; however, there is a consensus that open surgery is the first-line treatment. We present a complex case of an arterial aneurysm of the subclavian-axillary-brachial axis adequately treated using a hybrid surgical and endovascular treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 59-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute ischemia of the right upper limb. An extensive thrombosed aneurysm of the subclavian-axillary-brachial axis was identified. The treatment was carried out in two stages. In the first phase, urgent limb revascularization was performed using the great saphenous vein to perform a subclavian-brachial artery bypass. Later, the aneurysm was excluded using a vascular plug and multiple coils. Successful treatment was achieved with no morbidity for the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the gold standard for treating upper limb aneurysms is open surgery, endovascular techniques can be a significant adjunct, reducing treatment morbidity and even mortality.

True Idiopathic Brachial Artery Aneurysm Treated With a Saphenous Vein Graft

Purpose: The objective of this study is to report a case of a 65-year-old woman who presented with pallor and pain of her left arm secondary to a true arterial brachial aneurysm, which was successfully treated with saphenous vein bypass and embolization of the aneurysm sac. A review of the literature is also presented. Case report: A 65-year-old woman presented with an acute onset of pallor and pain of her left forearm, and hand. On physical examination, there was a pulsatile mass at the forearm. A doppler ultrasound showed a fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the brachial artery of 23 mm of diameter. A dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI angiogram confirmed a fusiform dilation of the distal brachial artery. The patient was scheduled for open repair. A fusiform 20 x 60 mm aneurysm of the distal brachial artery extending to the cubital fossa was found and a brachial artery to radial and ulnar arteries bypass with interposed reverse right saphenous vein was created. Embolization of the aneurysm sac was performed using Gelita-spon ® (Gelita Medical, Eberbach, Germany). A final angiogram showed an adequate perfusion through the bypass to the hand, and no contrast in the aneurysmal sac. Postoperative course was uneventful with discharge on the fourth postoperative day. Conclusion: Revascularization with autologous saphenous vein graft and exclusion of the aneurysm with local embolization is a good treatment alternative in a patient with symptomatic brachial aneurysm with distal embolization.

True Brachial Aneurysm in an Older Female Patient. A Case Report and Review of Literature

INTRODUCTION

Brachial artery aneurysms constitute 0.5% of peripheral aneurysms. These can be true or secondary to trauma or arteriovenous fistulas. These present as an asymptomatic pulsatile mass or may cause symptoms due to compression of adjacent neurological structures.

CASE REPORT

We present a review of the literature on clinical, histological, and therapeutic characteristics of true brachial aneurysms, motivated by the case of a 67-year-old woman with an asymptomatic pulsatile mass dependent on the brachial artery of the left arm who underwent open surgical correction with resection of the aneurysmal sac and interposition of great saphenous vein graft with adequate postoperative results.

Acute right upper extremity ischemia resulting from true aneurysmof right brachial artery: A case report

We report a case of 66-year-old woman with true aneurysm of the right brachial artery. She presented with acute upper extremity ischemia. The hand was cold and parenthesized and distal pulses were absent. CT angiography (CTA) revealed a 20*25 mm true brachial artery aneurysm. The aneurysm was thrombosed without distal run-off. We excised the aneurysm and reestablished the arterial flow by a reverse saphenous interposition graft. The postoperative course was uneventful.

A Rare Case of Dysplastic Axillary Artery Aneurysm Associated with Arteriovenous Malformation

BACKGROUND

Axillary artery aneurysms are rare conditions, and their causes are various. They can determine severe complications, so the treatment is extremely important.

METHODS

We report the case of a young man affected by a saccular axillary artery aneurysm associated with intramuscular arteriovenous malformation, without symptoms except for the presence of a pulsatile mass. Duplex scan and computed tomography scan have been essential for a correct diagnosis and planning of the treatment. At first, the patient was submitted to coil embolization of an efferent vessel, and then he was treated surgically through ligation and detachment of the aneurysm and replacement of part of the axillary artery with a Dacron graft (Vascutek, Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK).

RESULTS

Follow-up at 1 and 6 months revealed normal patency of the axillary arterty and the prosthetic graft with complete exclusion and thrombosis of the aneurysm sac.No sensitive nor motor deficit were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Aneurysms of the axillary artery associated with intramuscular arteriovenous malformations are very rare, but have to be suspected. The treatment is challenging and can be surgical, endovascular, or hybrid, based on the patient's conditions and aneurysm's anatomical features.

True brachial artery aneurysm: A case report and review of literature

Introduction

A true brachial artery aneurysm is a rare pathology with an incidence of 0.17% of all peripheral artery aneurysms. This pathology can manifest devastating complications if overlooked, however, a high index of suspicion coupled with a thorough history and physical allows easy diagnosis. We present a rare case of the oldest documented patient with a true brachial artery aneurysm with idiopathic etiology.

Presentation of case

An 83-year-old gentleman presented with left upper extremity pain, erythema, and swelling for 1 week. He denied trauma to the area. Examination revealed a pulsatile mass of the antecubital fossa and decreased distal pulses. Imaging illustrated a 9mm aneurysm of the brachial artery with stenosis of the radial artery and non-enhancement of the origin of the ulnar artery. The patient underwent a brachial aneurysm excision, radial and ulnar embolectomy, and brachial to ulnar and radial artery bypass. Postoperatively, palpable pulses were appreciated in the radial and ulnar arteries. Pathology demonstrated a true aneurysm. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful and follow-up 6 months later revealed normal perfusion.

Discussion

This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion coupled with a thorough history and physical examination when encountering neurovascular complaints of the upper extremities. Operative intervention even in asymptomatic patients is warranted due to a high complication rate of 33%.

Conclusion

More research into the pathophysiology of this rare pathology is needed to further understand, prevent, or mitigate its complications.

Management of upper extremity aneurysms: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this paper is to provide recommendations for diagnosis and management of arterial or venous aneurysms of the upper extremity.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A systematic review of the Medline and Cockrane databases was performed from 1988 to 2019 by a combined strategy of MeSh terms.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

One-hundred-forty-four publications were identified: 111 addressing arterial aneurysms and 33 addressing venous aneurysms. A total of 162 cases of arterial aneurysms, mostly brachial aneurysms (34.0% of cases) and 40 cases of venous aneurysms, mostly located in the forearm (60.0% of cases) were reported. For both types of aneurysms, most common presentation was the perception of a mass (56.3% for arterial one and 87.5% for venous one), but thromboembolic complication (46.7%), paresthesia (16.5%) or rupture (6.4%) could be observed in the setting of arterial aneurysms, while arm swelling (27.5%), neurological symptoms (12.5%), pulmonary embolism (10.0%) or rupture (2.5%) could occur in the setting of venous aneurysms. DUS was performed as first imaging modality for both settings, followed but CTA and MRA, especially in arterial aneurysms, to evaluate distal emboli and surrounding vasculature. Surgical treatment was mostly based on excision of the aneurysms with revascularization for arterial aneurysms (77.2%) and resection without reconstruction for the venous one (85.0%). Complications occurred in 10.5% of the cases of arterial aneurysms, none occurred after venous aneurysm resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Prompt diagnosis and appropriate preoperative imaging are mandatory in order to offer the best treatment modality. Open resection with revascularization seems to be the treatment of choice for arterial aneurysms, although endovascular procedures became more popular. Venous aneurysms require excision without revascularization.