Osteochondromas, or exostoses, are the most frequent benign bone tumors. Although many osteochondromas are asymptomatic, they are sometimes responsible for vascular complications, most often associated with the popliteal artery. Here, we present a rare case of pseudo-aneurysm of the popliteal artery secondary to an osteochondroma of the femur in a 48-year-old woman. During surgery, a pseudo-aneurysm developed from a 1-mm hole in the anterior aspect of the popliteal artery, which was closely related to the protrusion of the femoral osteochondroma. The surface of the osteochondroma was quite sharp, rigid and firm. It was removed completely through the lumen of the aneurysm. A short segment of the popliteal artery, including the hole, was resected with an end-to-end anastomosis. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient recovered completely. The precise pathogenesis of pseudo-aneurysmal formation is still unknown. We speculate that local compression of the popliteal artery by a spiky osteochondroma can stretch the vessel and lead to rupture of the artery by continuous friction. Considering the potential risk of this vascular complication, shonld be closely monitered patients with osteochondroma of the femur.

A 68-year-old woman with a sudden onset of back pain was brought to our hospital by ambulance. Computed tomography (CT) showed Stanford type A (DeBakey type II) acute aortic dissection, left hemothorax, and hematoma extending along the pulmonary artery ; therefore, the patient underwent emergency operation. We performed a median sternotomy. Pericardial effusion was not observed ; however, a hematoma was found around the ascending aorta. Preoperative CT showed left hemothorax, but pleural effusion was not observed in the left pleural cavity. The left hemothorax, which was detected on preoperative CT, was diagnosed as an extrapleural hematoma. The dissection entry site was located at the proximal aortic arch ; therefore, ascending aorta-hemiarch replacement was performed. After weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, the patient experienced sudden airway bleeding. The bleeding was attributed to the hematoma extending along the pulmonary artery. Here, we have reported a rare case of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection with the left extrapleural hematoma and lung hemorrhage.

Objective : Although dissection extending to the aortic root is a common finding, it is potentially fatal in patients with acute type A aortic dissection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical results of acute type A aortic dissection with proximal involvement. The proximal extension of dissection, types of aortic root procedure and its feasibility were investigated. Methods : Between 1997 and 2011, 80 patients with acute type A aortic dissection underwent emergent operation. Results : Dissection reaching around the coronary artery orifice was observed in 28 patients. In 11 patients, both left and right coronary arteries were involved with aortic dissection. Aortic root replacement was performed in 4 patients. In 7 patients, the dissected aortic root was reinforced by GRF glue and proximal aorta was replaced with a graft. Among these patients, postoperative aortic root redissection with severe aortic regurgitation was observed in 5 patients during postoperative long-term periods. All of them required surgical re-intervention of the aortic root. In 17 patients, dissection was extended to the right coronary artery. Aortic root reconstruction was performed in 2 patients due to pre-existing annulo-aortic ectasia. The remaining 15 patients underwent proximal reinforcement with GRF glue. No patient showed dissection extending to the left coronary artery alone. Operative mortality was 11% and other types of complications concerning the aortic root was not observed. Conclusion : An acceptable outcome was demonstrated with our surgical strategy of proximal aortic dissection. For patients, in particular, with proximal involvement to both the left and right coronary arteries, redissection of the aortic root should be noticed as a late complication with considerable frequency. Special care should be taken for precise recognition of the proximal extension of dissection and appropriate surgical procedure including simultaneous aortic root replacement.

We report an extremely rare case of leiomyosarcoma originating from the abdominal aorta. The patient was a 57-year-old man who had palpable abdominal mass with pain. The symptoms were consistent, and urgent operation was done due to impending rupture of the abdominal aortic aneurysm. The intraoperative findings showed that the mass was a primary tumor of the abdominal aorta, and the histological diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma. It is reported that its prognosis is very poor, but he survived 7.5 years after diagnosis by reason of aggressive management including surgical treatment, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

After vascular surgical procedures, complications of the wounds in the groin region may sometimes lead to prosthetic graft infections or prolonged hospital stays. While some wounds heal completely during re-suture and VAC therapy, healing of other wounds that involve refractory graft infection, lymphorrhea, or a dead space, is extremely difficult. We performed tissue coverage using a Sartorius muscle flap for such difficult cases. The muscle is twisted onto itself to fill the dead space with some blood supply. Tissue coverage using a Sartorius muscle flap with adequate blood flow was effective in improving lymphorrhea and infection. We report four such cases where complications in the groin region were managed using a Sartorius muscle flap for wounded coverage.

The patient was a 63-year-old man, who had developed cerebral infarction during treatment for sleep apnea syndrome. He also presented typical features of deep venous thrombosis of the right lower extremity. Transesophageal echocardiography clearly showed the blood flow passing through the patent foramen ovale (PFO) followed by Valsalva maneuver. Paradoxical cerebral embolism caused by a PFO was diagnosed. Several procedures were considered to prevent recurrence of cerebral infarction, he underwent PFO closure by minimally invasive procedure, so-called port-access cardiac surgery. He started walking on the day of surgery, and postoperative echocardiography showed no residual shunt flow. Currently, no catheter-based PFO closure device is allowed in Japan, the PFO closure by the port-access technique should be considered as a feasible alternative.

Superior mesenteric venous aneurysm (SMVA) is rare and no standard treatment protocol has yet been established. We report our experience in performing surgical treatment for SMVA. A 64-year-old man was found to have a SMVA by computed tomography which had been performed during follow-up for gastrectomy. The SMVA was observed to gradually increase in diameter, and surgical treatment was therefore indicated. We successfully resected the aneurysm and then closed the defect with a bovine pericardial patch. Considering the potential risk of rupture, venous aneurysms that present with a saccular shape and an expanding tendency should be immediately surgically treated.