Management of inflammatory abdominal aneurysms--immediate and late results

Despite progress in the technical approach to aneurysms, inflammatory aortic aneurysms (IAA) in particular present the surgical team with a unique challenge. This retrospective study investigates immediate and late results after surgical treatment of IAA.

Fifteen cases of IAA among 520 aneurysmectomies of the abdominal aorta were operated during the period 1986-1995. All the patients were males of a mean age of 66 years. Diagnosis was established on preoperative CT-Scan, gross appearance at surgery and histologically. CT scanning could detect the IAA in 13 of 15 cases. In 2 cases MRI was diagnostic. Surgical treatment using the inlay method, constitutes the method of choice due to restricted dissection, as it reduces the possibility of iatrogenic injuries.

None of the patients died during the first 30 postoperative days. One patient died at the age of 78, 40 days after the operative procedure, due to a cerebral episode. Four to 120 months later 3 patients had also died from cause unrelated to the operation and one more patient was lost on follow-up. The remaining 10 patients were free of symptoms without any progression of the fibrotic process in the CT scanning. We observed a total regression in 7 and partial regression in 3 patients without detecting any inflammatory findings or renal failure.

IAA's are rare. CT and/or MRI establish the diagnosis preoperatively and contribute to the surgical program with immediate and late results equal to those found in arteriosclerotic aneurysms of the abdominal aorta.