[Intestinal hemorrhage as cause of late death in a patient with abdominal aortic prosthesis]

Intestinal bleeding from abdominal aortic aneurysm is a rare complication; it represents an exceptional occurrence in patients with abdominal aortic prosthesis. The Authors report one case of intestinal hemorrhage caused by interruption in the posterior suture-line between prosthesis and aorta. The hemorrhage has been the cause of death in this patient 4 months after the operation; the exact diagnosis has been recognized only at autopsy, after a gastroduodenal resection performed for a suspected bleeding peptic ulcer. Pathology, ethiology and diagnosis of this case are commented and discussed.