Embolic shower following blunt aortic injury: a risky yet successful approach

Abstract

Introduction: Blunt Aortic Injury (BAI) is a rare event in high-energy traumas. It has an estimated incidence of 20 to 30 per 1 million population per year. Its importance, however, rely in the outstanding mortality rates, in which 80 to 90% of the patients die at the scene of injury and 50% of the survivors die at the hospital (1). The majority of BAI occur in the thoracic aorta and there are less than 10 described cases of floating aortic thrombus (FAT) secondary a BAI, from which no thromboembolic complication was described (2). Objective: We report a case of a large thoraco-abdominal BAI following thrombotic dissemination with multiple ischemic foci, an extremely rare complication of high energy traumas, and its management.