Pseudoaneurysm of the distal aortic arch in Behçet's disease--a case report

Behçet's disease, manifested as a triform of relapsing iritis, stomatitis and genital ulceration, is now recognized as a systemic vasculitis that affects both veins and arteries. However, aneurysms of the aortic arch associated with Behçet's disease are extremely rare. We report on a successfully resected pseudoaneurysm of the distal aortic arch in a patient with Behçet's disease. The aneurysm was evaluated preoperatively by computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DSA). We found that these non-invasive methods were quite useful for diagnosing the aneurysm in the aortic arch. Aneurysms enlarge rapidly when coupled with infection and are prone to rupture, thus requiring extensive surgical repair. However, since false aneurysm formations often occur at the site of anastomosis, postoperative follow-up should be monitored very closely.