Abstract
A 62-year-old man presented with an insidious low back pain that radiated to both knees. A pulsatile abdominal mass was detected on physical examination. Imaging study identified a pararenal aortic abdominal aneurysm measuring 20 cm long and with a caliber of 10 cm. The aneurysm was surgically repaired. The patient survived the procedure and has shown a positive recovery.
Highlights
Low back pain (LBP) is the fifth cause of medical consultation in the United States [1]
Despite its relation to spinal degenerative injuries, there are other less common but serious conditions that mimic this clinical presentation, namely vascular disorders such as aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA). It is usually defined as abdominal aorta diameter greater than 3.0 cm and presents with low back pain in up to 50% of patients [2]
A 62-year-old retired man came to the emergency department complaining of steady low back pain that had been radiating through both legs to the knee for three weeks
Summary
Low back pain (LBP) is the fifth cause of medical consultation in the United States [1]. Despite its relation to spinal degenerative injuries, there are other less common but serious conditions that mimic this clinical presentation, namely vascular disorders such as aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA). It is usually defined as abdominal aorta diameter greater than 3.0 cm and presents with low back pain in up to 50% of patients [2]. The patient had previous history of smoking, hypertension and ischemic heart disease with two previous myocardial infarctions (1 and 7 years ago) On physical examination, he showed normal vital signs, apyrexia and normal cardiopulmonary auscultation. After one year of follow-up, the patient had no more episodes of low back pain
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