Background: Intravenous drug abuse is a global social and health care problem. Vascular complications following intravascular inguinal self-injection of addictive drugs are rarely seen. An efficient therapeutic concept is needed because, besides the risk of vascular injuries, infections ranging up to systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis might occur.
Methods: This was a single center retrospective analysis of vascular complications in drug addicts from 1994 to 2002 in an university hospital. A systematic literature review in MEDLINE was performed with the following key words: 1 vascular, 2 complications, 3 drugs, 4 addicts, 5 mycotic aneurysms.
Results: 10 patients with a long lasting history of i. v. drug abuse (median: 16.1 years, range: 10-28 years) and vascular complications were included in this study. The mean age was 40.2 years (range 32-50 years). 5 patients showed pain and tumescence of the inguinal region at the time of admission. 7/10 patients had a poor general health and nutritional status. 2 patients had a hepatitis-B- and C-infection, 7 patients were hepatitis C Ag positive. All patients were HIV negative. 1 patient had an older deep venous leg thrombosis that was treated conservatively. In six cases, we saw an intraoperative arterial bleeding; in five cases pseudoaneurysms. The patients were treated with 5 venous interpositions, 4 venous patch plastics, 1 end-to-end anastomosis and 2 prosthetic grafts. 3 thrombectomies were performed. One time we performed a ligation of the pseudoaneurysm without reconstruction. Six reconstructions were covered with a biological seal. One thigh amputation was necessary; no patient died. In 2 patients with severe problems, we performed 11 operative revisions. The systematic literature review in MEDLINE showed no evidenced based therapy regimen.
Conclusion: We favour the resection of the aneurysm including a radical debridement of the wound with secondary wound healing. In the case of an isolated aneurysm of the arteria femoralis superficialis or the arteria profunda femoris, a ligation or excision without reconstruction is possible with a low risk of postoperative complications. A reconstruction with autologous material is necessary in the case of aneurysms of the common femoral artery or its bifurcation. The reconstructed vessel should be covered with a biological seal, e. g. omentum majus. If there is no autologous material available for the reconstruction, we recommend the ligation without reconstruction, because the results after implantation of artificial vascular prostheses are not satisfying.