Abstract
Aortic rupture is usually the ultimate consequence of expanding atherosclerotic aortic aneurysms. However, other conditions such as blunt traumatic injury or aortic dissection due to a variety of causes (hypertension, medial degeneration or Marfan's syndrome, and Behcet's disease 1 may also lead to aortic rupture. In contrast, so-called spontaneous aortic infection 2 usually occurs following secondary infection of the normal or atherosclerotic aortic wall. The main mechanism of aortic infection is the presence of recurrent septic emboli, 3 which may lodge at sites such as the aortic bifurcation, side-branch origins, vasa vasorum or atherosclerotic plaques. A special pathogenetic subgroup are primary or secondary contaminated post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms. These may follow penetrating vascular injury or intraaortic manipulations, such as arteriography 4 or intra-aortic balloonpumps. 5 During a 5 year period, 54 patients (49 ruptured atherosclerotic aneurysms, one ruptured post-traumatic aneurysm, four infected ruptures) underwent emergency surgery for aortic rupture. The clinical course of the four patients with an infectious aetiology is reported.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call