[The radiologic diagnosis of inflammatory aneurysms]

An inflammatory aneurysm is defined as a nonbacterial special type of atherosclerotic aneurysm. The macroscopic characteristics are: a porcelaneous appearance, excessive thickening of the aortic wall, and perianeurysmal adhesions. Chronic inflammatory infiltrations, which are localized in the adventitia, can be found via microscopy. Six of forty-three patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms were found to have an inflammatory aneurysm at operation. In a retrospective study, we examined the sonographic, computed tomographic and angiographic appearance of inflammatory aneurysms. Only with computed tomography can thickening of the aneurysmal wall be demonstrated; angiography does not have this capacity and can only find an inflammatory aneurysm in particular cases.