Acute embolic occlusion of the distal aorta.

Purpose: Acute occlusion of the abdominal aorta requires rapid diagnosis and intervention to prevent loss of life or limb. The overall mortality due to embolic occlusion is reported to be over 30%. The most common source of emboli is the heart, secondary to atrial fibrillation or myocardial infarction.
Methods: A patient is herein presented who arrived at the emergency department 6 hours after onset of classic signs of acute arterial occlusion.
Results: She had a saddle embolus of the distal abdominal aorta with extension of the clot into both iliac and femoral arteries.
Conclusions: Heparin therapy and embolectomy successfully reestablished blood flow. The etiology, presentation and management of aortoiliac occlusion is discussed.