[A thoracic aortic aneurysm with respiratory failure caused by the mechanisms of stenosis of the left bronchus and ipsilateral pulmonary artery--report of a case and review of the literature].

Clinical symptoms of thoracic aortic aneurysm vary widely from symptoms resulting from its rupture to those due to compression of surrounding organs. Furthermore, the onset of symptoms is frequently followed by a fatal outcome unless emergency measures are taken. We have recently experienced a patient who developed respiratory insufficiency caused by an aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta compressing the left primary bronchus and the right pulmonary artery, the former causing ventilatory failure in the left lung and the latter interfering with blood flow in the right lung. The patient underwent emergency prosthetic graft replacement and showed temporary symptom improvement. However, a postoperative complication of esophageal perforation due to ischemic necrosis occurred and eventually caused acute empyema followed by death. The patient was a 48-year-old male who presented with symptoms similar to bronchial asthma. Angiographic examination (iv-DSA) revealed compression of right pulmonary artery by an aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta. Bronchoscopic findings included extramural stenosis of the left bronchus accompanied by arterial pulsation. As an emergency measure, artificial blood vessel replacement of the descending thoracic aorta was performed. However, the patient developed postoperative acute empyema and died on the 19th postoperative day. Autopsy revealed ischemic necrosis on the esophageal wall where the aneurysmal lesion had touched before operation. This seems to have formed a perforation into the left thoracic cavity and ultimately to have caused acute empyema. Since we believe that the pathogenesis and clinical course observed in this patient is rather rare, the case is reported in accompanied by relevant data from the literature.