Invasive transmural fungal infection as a rare cause of thoracic aortic occlusion

Disseminated fungal infection resulting in aortic occlusion is a rare and highly morbid clinical phenomenon. This article reports the aortic occlusion of a 15-year-old male who had undergone recent emergent splenectomy and induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After initial stabilization, he developed progressive sepsis and ischemia, with cross-sectional imaging findings of pneumomediastinum and descending aorta intraluminal thrombus, which rapidly progressed to aortic occlusion. His clinical status continued to decompensate until he ultimately succumbed to his disease.