When a sufficient field of view in unilateral thoracotomy cannot be obtained during hemostasis surgery for severe thoracic trauma, clamshell thoracotomy is often necessary to perform aortic cross-clamping in order to avoid cardiac arrest or to treat intrathoracic injury across the chest. Here we describe two successful cases of clamshell thoracotomy for blunt traumatic cardiac rupture. Case 1 was a 41-year-old male motorcyclist, injured in a collision with a truck, who was in a state of shock when transported to our emergency department (ED). Due to the finding of fluid accumulation around the spleen on FAST (focused assessment with sonography for trauma), he underwent emergency laparotomy with gauze packing after splenectomy as damage control surgery. Because of a prolonged state of shock due to extensive right hemothorax, right anterolateral thoracotomy was performed to locate the site of active bleeding in the right mediastinal pleura. However, imminent cardiac arrest necessitated clamshell thoracotomy, which revealed a 4-cm laceration on the right atrium and two lacerations on the upper lobe of the right lung, for which suture repair was performed. His postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on postinjury day 57 for rehabilitation. Case 2 was a 75-year-old female motorcyclist who was injured after hitting a curb and falling. She was in a state of shock due to severe right hemothorax when admitted to our ED and underwent anterolateral thoracotomy to treat active bleeding in the right mediastinal pleura. Clamshell thoracotomy was performed because cardiac arrest was imminent, and this was followed by suture repair of a 2-cm laceration identified on the left atrium. Her postoperative course was uneventful and she was transferred to another hospital on postinjury day 37 for rehabilitation. In both cases, Clamshell thoracotomy was performed successfully for blunt traumatic cardiac rupture and the postoperative course was good with no serious complications. Clamshell thoracotomy is an effective approach for trauma resuscitation, so surgeons should be familiar with its indications, surgical techniques, and timing.

We report a case of cholesterol crystal embolism (CCE) after endovascular aortic repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A 68-year-old man with AAA underwent endovascular aortic repair. He complained of left lower abdominal pain after the operation. Abdominal CT showed renal infarction on postoperative day 10. Renal dysfunction developed after postoperative day 17. A biopsy of the renal infarct lesion demonstrated characteristic cholesterol clefts in the small arteries. We diagnosed CCE. Steroid therapy was administered and the patient's condition improved remarkably. Diagnosis of CCE is difficult and its prognosis still remains poor. Therefore, we should keep this unusual complication in mind.

Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease can occur in various organs, most of which comprise glandular or ductal tissue. We report a case of IgG4-related disease which occurred in a cardiovascular lesion. A 69-year-old man was found to have a tumorous lesion around the coronary artery. Open chest biopsy showed the diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, occasional eosinophils and numerous IgG4-positive plasma cells within the lesions. The serum concentration of IgG4 in the postoperative period was 1,080 mg/dl (reference range, <135). We diagnosed IgG4-related periarteritis manifesting as a tumor around the coronary artery. This case suggests that IgG4-related disease can occur around the coronary artery and manifest as a periarterial mass lesion.