Multisaccular aneurysm developing in association with abdominal aortic coarctation: report of a surgical case

This paper reports a rare case of a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with a multisaccular, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), 35 mm in diameter, which was revealed developing just distal to an abdominal aortic coarctation (AAC), with a 20 mmHg pressure gradient. The patient underwent corrective surgery for both lesions, with success. Intraoperatively, the aneurysm wall was found to be so thin and transparent that the inner blood turbulence could be seen, and it appeared highly susceptible to rupture. When a saccular, thin-walled AAA develops in association with AAC, early surgical intervention is mandatory regardless of the size of the aneurysm. (Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003; 9: 326-9)