Related Experiment Videos
Inflammatory aortic aneurysms: regression of fibrosis after aneurysm surgery
M Bitsch1, H H Nørgaard, O Røder
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Objectives:
To evaluate the fate of perianeurysmal fibrosis (PF) following aneurysm surgery.
Methods:
In this single centre study, pre- and postoperative abdominal CT-scans on 21 consecutive patients with inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms were compared. CT-scans of 10 randomly chosen patients operated on for abdominal aortic aneurysms without PF in the same period, served as reference group.
Results:
Preoperative thickness of PF was assessed as > 1 cm in 11 and < 1 cm in 10 patients. Ureterolysis was performed in seven patients where the fibrosis caused ureteral obstruction. Postoperative CT-scans performed at a median of 24 (range 3-108) months after surgery showed complete regression of the fibrosis in 29%, partial regression in 57% and no change in 14% of the patients. Progression of the fibrosis or persistence of hydronephrosis was not seen. No sign of fibrosis were seen in the 10 controls.
Conclusion:
This study supports the findings that PF tends to regress after repair of the abdominal aortic aneurysm.