Interv Akut Kardiol. 2021;20(3):144-148 | DOI: 10.36290/kar.2021.013

Aortic trauma due to sporting activity

Pavel Žáček¹, Jan Raupach², Jan Vojáček¹

¹ Kardiochirurgická klinika Lékařské fakulty v Hradci Králové a Fakultní nemocnice Hradec Králové

² Radiologická klinika Lékařské fakulty v Hradci Králové a Fakultní nemocnice Hradec Králové

Serious acute aortic syndrome (rupture, dissection, transection) may rarely occur in direct association with a sporting activity. In such a case, physically healthy and usually young individuals are suddenly at a serious risk of death. Damage to the aortic wall occurs after exceeding the integrity limits resulting from either excessive hypertension or shear stress during deceleration trauma. Extreme hypertensive overload has been documented in the course of isometric exercise. Deceleration trauma typically occurs in certain types of sports (parachuting, paragliding, downhill skiing), but has also been reported in various other sporting activities. In literature reviews, sometimes bizarre clinical scenarios and decreased physician's vigilance are of note. A morphologically severe aortic injury necessitates a prompt surgical or endovascular treatment. Only in the case of minimal aortic injury, the treatment is conservative.

Keywords: sport, trauma, aortic syndrome, aortic dissection, rupture.

Received: April 20, 2021; Revised: April 20, 2021; Accepted: April 20, 2021; Prepublished online: April 20, 2021; Published: October 21, 2021  Show citation