Steroid therapy is effective in a young patient with an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm

We report a successful resection of an inflammatory aneurysm following treatment with steroids in a 23-year-old man. Suffering from fever and severe lumbago, he was admitted to our hospital. An ultrasound and computed tomography of the abdomen revealed an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm surrounded by dense perianeurysmal fibrous tissue. We diagnosed it as an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm based on a symptomatic inflammatory reaction and the findings of ultrasound and computed tomography. Since the aneurysmal wall strongly adhered to the surrounding tissues and surgery was ruled out when it proved impossible to expose the vessels sufficiently to obtain vascular control, steroid therapy was started to control fever and severe lumbago. Five months later, we undertook surgery. Our conclusion is that steroid therapy was very effective against a young patient with inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm.