[Adventitial cyst of the aorta]

The authors report a case of adventitial cyst of the abdominal aorta. This would seem to be the first time that a cyst has been reported in the literature with this localization. A 54 year old female patient was treated surgically for a suspected aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Her antecedents included syphilis treated with bismuth. The condition began with a lumbago with no clearly defined etiology. An abdominal X-ray without preparation visualized a calcified abdominal tumor in a retroperitoneal position, apparently attached to the aorta. Arteriography showed that the tumor was excluded from the circulation. Surgical exploration of the aorta demonstrated a cystic tumor, which was resected. A review of the literature concerning the pathology of arterial cysts shows no previous cases of aortic cyst. On the other hand, references to identical anomalies of the iliac, femoral, popliteal and radial arteries provide grounds for discussion of the etiology of this aortic disease. The macroscopic data and histological studies suggest a phenomenon of cystic degeneration rather than a constitutional anomaly of the artery, or, in this particular case, an anomaly connected with syphilitic lesions.