Authors: Suyue M. Zhang, Gaurang Joshi, Rym El Khoury, Benjamin Parker, Andrii Labchuk, Chad E. Jacobs, John V. White, Lewis B. Schwartz.
Introduction: Spontaneous aortic thrombosis causing distal embolization and acute limb ischemia is an ominous medical condition with a poor prognosis. Herein are reported the clinical courses of two women who presented with severe lower extremity ischemia caused by distal embolization of spontaneous aortic thrombus without obvious antecedent arterial disease. This unusual diagnosis should be expected in patients presenting with persistent lower extremity pain and numbness even in the absence of overt physical findings.
Case 1: A 42 year-old woman with mild hyperlipidemia complained of left leg numbness and weakness. She was treated with analgesia but her symptoms worsened. Lower extremity ultrasound revealed a significant infra-inguinal perfusion defect; computed tomography revealed mural thrombus in a normal aorta along with extensive thrombotic occlusion of the left popliteal and tibial arteries. Attempts at endovascular recanalization were unsuccessful; the patient underwent successful left popliteal-to-plantar artery bypass with autologous vein.
Case 2: A 57 year-old woman without medical history presented to a local Emergency Room with a five-day history of numbness in the right lower extremity. Computed tomographic angiography revealed complete infrarenal aortic occlusion in a 3 cm diameter area of mild aortic ectasia along with iliac and distal right infrainguinal thromboembolism. The patient was treated with aortobifemoral bypass grafting with right leg fasciotomy, which restored perfusion and function.
Conclusion: Spontaneous aortic thrombosis causing distal embolization and acute limb ischemia is an ominous medical condition with a poor prognosis. Episodes of embolization may be intermittent and asymptomatic such that, when symptoms finally occur, the distal thrombus is often chronic and inaccessible. The diagnosis should be suspected in patients with unexplained lower extremity symptoms and pulse deficits; it can be readily established with computed tomography.
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