[Aneurysm development and late rupture of retrogradely perfused iliac arteries]

We report the course of 2 patients with ruptured aneurysms of the iliac artery admitted in hemorrhagic shock which were treated successfully. These 2 cases demonstrate that a rupture of a retrogradely perfused aneurysm as a late complication of aortobifemoral bypass grafting is possible even after 10 years. Wether these aneurysms are causally connected with the peripheral run-off remains unclear. In our opinion, these 2 examples underline the importance of long-term follow up after resection of abdominal aortic aneurysms with femoral end to side bypass anastomoses. The goal is the early detection and therapy of metachronous iliac aneurysms before rupture.