Rare Forms of Peripheral Arterial Embolism: Review of 11 Cases

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to present 11 patients operated on owing to rare forms of peripheral arterial embolism at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases of the Serbian Clinical Center over a period of 20 years. Three patients were operated on owing to a foreign body embolism, two owing to a septic embolism, three owing to emboli that originated from malignant tissues, two owing to an embolization from cardiac myxoma, and one owing to an embolism from a myxomatous atrial septal defect. The preoperative evaluation included clinical examination, laboratory findings, and electrocardiography; in the majority of cases, ultrasonography and angiography were performed. Surgical treatment included foreign body extraction in three cases; thromboembolectomy in seven cases, and artery resection and saphenous graft interposition in one patient with septic embolism. In addition, three cardiosurgical procedures were done: aortic valve replacement in the patient with a septic embolism and tumor excision in patients with atrial myxoma. In addition to the usual clinical signs of acute limb ischemia, in the rare forms of arterial embolism, the presence of certain uncommon clinical symptoms was also observed. The early results of vascular surgical treatment were very good in all patients. Further follow-up revealed a poor prognosis in patients with malignant arterial embolism.

Multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approach to acute mesenteric ischaemia: A case report with literature review

“…Arterial aneurysms followed by ulcerated atherosclerotic plaques of the major arteries are the second most common source of the emboli. 14 Unlike our patient, most patients with aortic embolic disease secondarily to atherosclerosis, are typically elderly with multiple comorbid conditions. 15 In our otherwise healthy patient, lipid profile was within normal levels, and by imaging tests, neither localised nor generalised atherosclerotic disease was detected.…”

Acute lower limb ischemia and intestinal necrosis due to arterial tumor embolism from advanced lung cancer: a case report and literature review

“…Acute arterial occlusion secondary to malignant tumor embolism is rare. Miroslav et al reviewed 877 cases of arterial emboli, of which only three cases (0.3%) of ATE were identified [ 1 ]. Xiromeritis et al reported that the majority (89.4%) of ATE were associated with primary lung cancer (44.2%), secondary lung cancer (31.7%), and primary tumors of the aorta (13.4%) [ 2 ].…”

Endovascular Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Floating Thrombus in Patients Presenting with Acute Lower Limb Ischemia

“…Thrombosis and secondary embolism can also be associated with cancer, pregnancy, and hypercoagulation states, and in 10% of patients the source of peripheral embolism cannot be identified [3]. …”

“…In our first case, in fact, we performed clinical examination, laboratory findings, electrocardiography and finally-angio-CT scan to exclude rare forms such as foreign- body embolism, septic embolism, embolism from malignant tissues, embolization from cardiac myxoma or from a myxomatous atrial septal defect [3]. …”