Abstract
A case of tracheo-innominate artery fistula due to long term placement of a tracheostomy tube was reported. A 19-year-old girl with neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis underwent tracheotomy due to respiratory failure. About three months after the tracheotomy, she was brought to our clinic complaining of massive bleeding from the tracheostoma. Enhanced computed tomography and angiography indicated the presence of tracheo-innominate artery fistula.
Closure of the fistula was performed by resecting the innominate artery and reconstructing the fistula with an autogenous vein graft. However, the patient eventually died of cardiac failure several hours after surgery. Tracheo-innominate artery fistula is one of the critical complications after tracheotomy. Great care should be taken in managing such patients.
