Vascular CT Appearances

Aortoenteric Fistula CT Findings

• Effacement of fat planes around aorta
• Perigraft fluid
• Soft tissue/bowel loop thickening
• Ectopic gas
• Tethering of adjacent bowel loops towards aortic graft
• Fistulae rarely seen with active bleed

Other Information About Aortoenteric Fistula

Etiology:

• Most commonly follows surgery
• May also occur spontaneously

Epidemiology:

• Rare
• More common in males

Presentation:

• Sudden abdominal pain
• GI bleed
• Shock
• Sepsis

Prognosis:

• Patients with AEF need immediate surgery
• The true mortality rate isn’t known because AEF is rare but 30-day survival after surgery is less than 50%

Related Pearls: Aortoenteric Fistulae

Related Lectures:
CT of the Abdominal Aorta and Its Branches: Aneurysms, Dissections and Vasculitis - Part 3