Contained rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting as obstructive jaundice: report of a case

Chronic rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a rare occurrence, the presentation of which is unusual, often mimicking other conditions such as femoral neuropathy or radicular compression syndrome. We report herein the case of an 87-year-old woman found to have a contained rupture of an AAA after presenting with back pain and obstructive jaundice. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the contained rupture of the aneurysm with a large hematoma compressing the common bile duct. Surgical repair of the aortic aneurysm was successfully performed and the patient remains well.