[A case report of ruptured dissecting aneurysm with thrombosed false lumen]

A successful surgical repair was experienced for a 75 year old female patient with ruptured dissecting aneurysm at the descending aorta. She presented with severe chest pain and advancing anemia. CT scan showed haemorrhage from the descending aorta into the pleural cavity. Diffused and circumferrential thickening of the descending aorta was shown but those area was not enhanced by dye injection. An "ulcer like formation" was shown at the descending aorta by aortogram done before surgery. Surgical repair was done subsequently by left thoracotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass. Only a small intimal wall leakage at the bottom of the crater with size of 20 mm and organized (old) thrombi were seen by intraoperative observation. Other part of intima was thickened but had no damage. Replacement was done for the descending aorta by 8 cm length with woven dacron graft successfully. Microscopic finding of resected aortic tissue showed severe atherosclerotic change. In this case, dissection was initiated from the part of crater which had most severe degeneration by atherosclerotic change and oozing started there, too. Atherosclerotic change, dissection, and oozing rupture were occurred at the same part in this patient, which is quite instructive.