Exsanguinating tracheoinnominate artery fistula repaired with endovascular stent-graft.

BACKGROUND

Tracheoinnominate artery fistula is a relatively rare but life-threatening complication of tracheostomy. Peristomal bleed or hemoptysis may be massive and usually fatal if treatment is not instituted immediately.

CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the case of a 40-year-old woman who sustained surgical evacuation of a brainstem cavernoma and developed a massive hemoptysis 13 days after a percutaneous tracheostomy. Because of the patient's poor clinical condition, endovascular repair of the arterial injury was decided. The innominate artery was successfully repaired by means of urgent stent-graft placement.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that, if technically feasible, stent-graft placement can be a valuable therapeutic alternative for this dramatic condition. Physicians in charge of tracheostomized patients and neurointerventionalists should be familiar with this management strategy.