Traumatic arteriovenous fistula 52 years after injury.

Untreated traumatic arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) have been associated with aneurysmal dilatation of the involved artery and vein, congestive heart failure, and limb ischemia. Open surgical repair of these lesions can be challenging due to the elevated venous pressure and surrounding inflammation. This case report describes a hybrid open and endovascular approach to treatment of a traumatic AVF in the right groin, presenting with aneurysmal ileo-femoral arteries and veins and pulmonary hypertension. It provides a rare look at the natural history of a traumatic AVF over 50 years following the initial injury. Copyright (c) 2010 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.