Chronic encapsulated mediastinal abscess presenting with remote cutaneous fistulization 12 years after redo aortic valve replacement for prosthetic valve endocarditis

Chronic encapsulated mediastinal abscess is an unusual complication of previous open heart surgery. We report on the case of a 79 year old male who presented with epigastric fistulization of an encapsulated anterior mediastinal abscess 12 years after a redo aortic valve replacement for prosthetic valve endocarditis. The encapsulated abscess and its complex branching tracts and the cutaneous fistula were excised completely except the thin longitudinal strip of the ascending aorta which formed part of the posterior wall of the infected tract. This was covered with transposed greater omentum based on right gastroepiploic artery pedicle. Patient remains fit and well 2 years after his operation. This report is unusual on account of the length of the interval between previous heart surgery and the infective complication, the presumed dormancy of the abscess for as long as 12 years, the complex course, branching tracts and the contents of the abscess, the remote fistulization of the abscess at a distant anatomical site and, finally, the principle of successfully covering an infected tract which formed the adventia of the ascending aorta with pedicled omentum in the hope of avoiding an ascending aortic replacement in a frail 79 year old man. In the entire English language literature, this report represents the longest interval between a heart operation and a sternal or mediastinal abscess.