32-year-old Traumatic Arteriovenous Fistula Presenting With Leg Ulcer and High-output Heart Failure.

Publisher: Sage Publications Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101136421 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1938-9116 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 15385744 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Vasc Endovascular Surg Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage Publications
Original Publication: Glen Head, N.Y. : Westminster Publications, c2002-

Arteriovenous Fistula*/diagnostic imaging ; Arteriovenous Fistula*/etiology ; Arteriovenous Fistula*/physiopathology ; Arteriovenous Fistula*/therapy ; Arteriovenous Fistula*/surgery ; Cardiac Output, High*/etiology ; Cardiac Output, High*/physiopathology ; Femoral Artery*/diagnostic imaging ; Femoral Artery*/injuries ; Femoral Vein*/diagnostic imaging ; Femoral Vein*/injuries ; Heart Failure*/etiology ; Heart Failure*/physiopathology ; Leg Ulcer*/etiology ; Leg Ulcer*/diagnostic imaging ; Leg Ulcer*/therapy ; Leg Ulcer*/diagnosis ; Vascular System Injuries*/diagnostic imaging ; Vascular System Injuries*/etiology ; Vascular System Injuries*/surgery ; Vascular System Injuries*/therapy ; Wounds, Gunshot*/complications; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Ligation ; Treatment Outcome

Traumatic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is not a common disorder, and dermatological signs and heart failure caused by AVF are rarely reported. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman who was referred for congestive heart failure symptoms. Echocardiography revealed preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Due to edema of the right leg with a long-standing leg ulcer and palpable femoral thrill, duplex ultrasonography was performed. It showed an AVF between the right superficial femoral artery (SFA) and the right femoral vein (FV). The patient recalled a 32-year-old gunshot injury that was not medically treated. After the diagnosis of AVF she was referred to a surgeon for an AVF ligation, with subsequent resolution of her symptoms. The differential diagnosis of leg ulcer with leg edema should include the possibility of AVF as a cause.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Keywords: arteriovenous fistula; heart failure; leg ulcer; trauma

Date Created: 20231230 Date Completed: 20240514 Latest Revision: 20240904

20240905

10.1177/15385744231225886

38158801