Acute aortic occlusion: A point-of-care ultrasound case report

Introduction: Acute aortic occlusion (AAO) is a rare vascular emergency with significant associated morbidity and mortality.

Methods: This case report discusses a 39-year-old gentleman with methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy (MACM) who presented with bilateral lower limb ischaemia. A POCUS was performed to rapidly evaluate the patient on arrival, which demonstrated AAO. A literature review was conducted to identify similar cases where AAO was detected by POCUS.

Results: POCUS showed a left ventricular thrombus (LVT), an embolus in the distal abdominal aorta and no flow distal to the embolus, which is consistent with AAO. The patient was successfully reperfused and had a good outcome after a timely diagnosis and management.

Discussion: This case report outlines a rare pathology in an uncommon age group where POCUS can expedite diagnosis and management.

Conclusion: POCUS is a valuable tool, which can expedite and facilitate rapid revascularisation of AAO.