airway compromise due to ruptured “>Case Report

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American Journal of Emergency Medicine

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American Journal of Emergency Medicine 33 (2015) 1115.e1-1115.e3

Acute airway compromise due to ruptured inferior thyroid artery aneurysm

Abstract

A cervical hematoma secondary to the Spontaneous rupture of an aneurysm is an uncommon but catastrophic life-threatening condition because it can potentially obstruct the airway. Inferior thyroid artery aneurysm and rupture is a very rare clinical entity and only a limited number of cases have been reported in the literature. In this article, we present the case of a female patient who suffered from a rapidly enlarging cervical mass followed by a rapid onset of dyspnea as a result of rupture of an inferior thyroid artery aneurysm. The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance angiography, and delayed surgery resulted in an uneventful outcome. We aim to draw the attention of emergency physicians to this Rare condition.

A 65-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department presenting with rapid swelling of the neck and rapid onset of dyspnea. Upon admittance, she expressed anxiety about suffocating. Her vital signs were recorded as follows: a blood pressure of 110/60 mm Hg, a heart rate of 85 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation of 97%. She denied any history of trauma, chronic disease, and the use of any medications, including anticoagu- lants. Her physical examination was unremarkable except that there was swelling on the left side of the neck with ecchymoses on the anterior chest wall (Fig. 1). The patient underwent a neck and thorax computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast to check for acute dis- section of the aorta or its main branches. This diagnosis was excluded, but the CT revealed a hypodense hematoma dislocating the trachea and the left lobe of thyroid gland to the right (Fig. 2). Cervical ultraso- nography revealed the same results.

The patient was consulted with an otolaryngologist. A laryngoscopic examination revealed ecchymoses on the left arytenoid, the band ven- tricle, the left vocal cord, and the vallecula in addition to hypokinesis of the left vocal cord (Fig. 3). We performed a magnetic resonance angiogram of the neck that revealed 2 aneurysms at the proximal and distal portions of the left inferior thyroid artery (ITA), and the diag- nosis was confirmed (Fig. 4).

The patients’ serial hemoglobin and Hematocrit levels were stabilized at 9.5 mg/dL and 28%, respectively. She was hospitalized at the intensive care unit, and on the first day of the week, a team of otolaryngologists performed an operation to excise the aneurysms. The hematoma was also evacuated. The patient was discharged on the postoperative seventh day, and after 1 month, an ambulatory follow- up examination showed that she was healthy without any sequelae.

Among the causes of cervical masses, which include neoplasms, in- flammatory lesions, and hematomas, a cervical hemorrhage from the spontaneous rupture of an aneurysm is an uncommon but catastrophic

life-threatening condition because it can potentially obstruct the air- way. Aneurysms of the branches of the supra-aortal arteries are ex- tremely rare. The ITA is the most common site for thyrocervical trunk aneurysms [1]. A literature search found only a limited number of spon- taneously ruptured ITA aneurysms. The present case is the first to be documented in the emergency medicine literature.

Although unruptured ITA aneurysms may be asymptomatic or may cause hoarseness or dysphagia by compressing recurrent laryngeal nerve, ruptured aneurysm may result in a cervical hematoma, the com- pression of adjacent structures, tracheal displacement, endolaryngeal and subcutaneous bruises, and suffocation [1-6]. Because of the risk of suffocation because of airway compromise, many authors suggest that Diagnostic procedures should be undertaken only after securing the air- way. Otherwise, airway protection may become extremely difficult; it may need to be secured by means of fiber-optic intubation or tracheot- omy, or it may even become impossible [1,2,6]. Unlike in the cases de- scribed in the previous literature, our patient was not intubated. Instead, during each imaging procedure, the patient was closely ob- served by an emergency physician and an otolaryngologist in case endo- tracheal intubation or tracheostomy became necessary.

Computed tomography angiography and selective invasive angiog- raphy are commonly used modalities for accurately diagnosing ITA an- eurysms. selective angiography has the advantage of allowing embolization of the lesion [1,7,8]. Magnetic resonance angiography was also used in the workup of a cervical hemorrhage that was then confirmed by selective angiography, but it was unable to confirm the or- igin of the aneurysm [8]. Computed tomography angiography did not accurately diagnose the origin of the hematoma in our patient. This case is the first to be diagnosed by using MR angiography.

Because of the high mortality and morbidity associated with ITA an- eurysms, it is suggested to treat them actively at the time of the diagnosis [1,9,10]. The 2 possible treatments for aneurysms are surgery or angio- graphic embolization [1,6,8,9,11]. Surgical therapy can be used to drain compressive hematomas; otherwise, complete resorption may take as long as several months [1]. Only 1 case was not treated, and authors sug- gest “wait-and-see” strategy if the patient is hemodynamically stable [5]. As our patient was clinically stable, and we made a clinical decision that the extravasation had spontaneously stopped, the management of the aneurysm was delayed for 24 hours under close observation.

The main features that differentiate the present case from previously re- ported ones are the absence of any risk factors, confirmation of the diagnosis using MR angiography, and the successful uneventful outcome despite the delayed surgery. If invasive angiography is not available, there is no risk of suffocation, and the patient is clinically stable; MR angiography serves as an effective diagnostic tool, and under close observation, delayed surgery may result in an outcome as successful as that of immediate surgery.

0735-6757/(C) 2015

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Fig. 1. Swelling of the neck commencing from the left submandibular region and extend- ing to the clavicle and Suprasternal notch through the midline. She also had ecchymoses on the anterior chest wall.

Fig. 3. A videolaryngoscopy of the larynx showing ecchymoses on the left arytenoid, the band ventricle, the left vocal cord, and the vallecula.

Zerrin Ozergin Coskun, MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize

Research and Training Hospital, Rize, Turkey

Ozcan Yavasi, MD

Department of Emergency Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize

Research and Training Hospital E-mail: [email protected]

Tugba Durakoglugil, MD

Department of Radiology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize Research

and Training Hospital, Rize, Turkey

Ozlem Celebi Erdivanli, MD Abdulkadir Ozgur, MD

Suat Terzi, MD Engin Dursun, MD Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize

Research and Training Hospital, Rize, Turkey

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2015.01.049

Fig. 2. A contrast-enhanced CT scan showing a hematoma (black arrow) dislocating the trachea and the left lobe of the thyroid gland to the right.

Fig. 4. An MR angiogram showing proximal (arrowhead) and distal (black arrow) aneu- rysms of the left ITA.

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