Unusual presentations of abdominal aortic aneurysms

A review of the records of 100 consecutive patients undergoing surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms disclosed two individuals who presented in a fashion sufficiently rare as to warrant detailed discussion. The first had concomitant rupture and thrombosis manifested by lower extremity paraplegia and anesthesia, and the second had documented DIC in conjunction with a stable aneurysm. The latter completely resolved with heparin and subsequent surgical repair. Each of these presentations has had documentation in the surgical literature in less than five instances, and both case histories are given, followed by a review of the literature and theories as to the underlying pathophysiology.