Late Onset of Aspergillus Aortitis Presenting as Femoral Artery Embolism Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Noordally, S. Oaleed; Sohawon, Schoeb; De Bels, David; Duttmann, Ruth; Gottignies, Philippe; Devriendt, Jacques

doi:10.14712/18059694.2016.45

Acta Medica > Archive > 2011, Vol. 54 > Issue 4 > Late Onset of Aspergillus Aortitis…

Acta Med. 2011, 54: 175-176

https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2016.45

Late Onset of Aspergillus Aortitis Presenting as Femoral Artery Embolism Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

S. Oaleed Noordally^a, Schoeb Sohawon^b, David De Bels^a, Ruth Duttmann^c, Philippe Gottignies^a, Jacques Devriendt^a

^aDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Brugmann University Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
^bDepartment of Surgery, Erasme Academic Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
^cDepartment of Pathology, Brugmann University Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium

Received February 8, 2011
Accepted November 4, 2011

Aspergillus sp. are ubiquitous mould infections and in most patients, the source is presumed to be air-borne infections during surgical procedures. Prevention of these infections requires special attention of ventilation systems in operating rooms. Post-operative aspergillosis occurs mainly in immunocompromised patients as well as those who receive corticosteroids temporarily. We report a case of a 71-year-old immunocompromised patient who developed multiple lower limb embolisms due to Aspergillus niger originating from an aortitis of the ascending aorta nine months following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.