Non-Aneurysmal Infectious Aortitis: A Case Report

Abstract Infectious aortitis is a rare clinical entity that is most often associated with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. There have been very few documented cases of aortitis in the setting of a normal-sized caliber aorta. We present a 67-year-old patient who presented to our Emergency Department wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of emergency medicine 2007-05, Vol.32 (4), p.359-363
Main Authors: Narang, Aneesh T., MD, Rathlev, Niels K., MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Abscess - complications
Abdominal Abscess - diagnosis
Abdominal Abscess - diagnostic imaging
Aged
aortic aneurysm
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - diagnostic imaging
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - etiology
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - prevention & control
aortic infections
Aortitis - diagnosis
Aortitis - etiology
bacterial aortitis
Emergency
Emergency Service, Hospital
Humans
infected aneurysm
Laparotomy
Male
microbial aortitis
mycotic aneurysm
Nursing Homes
Retroperitoneal Space
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:Abstract Infectious aortitis is a rare clinical entity that is most often associated with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. There have been very few documented cases of aortitis in the setting of a normal-sized caliber aorta. We present a 67-year-old patient who presented to our Emergency Department with a history of recent fevers, fatigue, and abdominal pain. Based on an abdominal computed tomography scan, the patient was initially thought to have ruptured an abdominal aortic aneurysm of infectious etiology with extension into the left psoas muscle. Explorative laparotomy, however, revealed an infected abdominal aorta secondary to a retroperitoneal abscess with no evidence of aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm. The pathophysiology of the disease suggests that infectious aortitis and mycotic aneurysm represent extremes along a spectrum of the same disease. Establishing a diagnosis of aortic infection before the formation of an aneurysm or rupture is very difficult, but essential in preventing the devastating complications.
ISSN:0736-4679
2352-5029
DOI:10.1016/j.jemermed.2006.07.030