[Spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta disclosing inflammatory arteritis]

The authors report the case of a 74 year old man with no known medical history who died of spontaneous rupture of the thoracic aorta due to giant cell arteritis. The description of the macro and microscopic lesions confirmed the severity of the disease of the large arteries and explained the cause of death. The authors emphasize the clinical features of this case and discuss its place in the classification of aortitis. The type, incidence and severity of the aortic disease in inflammatory arteritis are also analysed. Spontaneous rupture of the aorta without dissection or aneurysm formation does not seem to have been previously reported and could be the mechanism of some cases of sudden death.