Idiopathic congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture treated with emergency graft replacement in a 29-day-old infant

Abstract

Background: Idiopathic congenital abdominal aortic aneurysms are rare. Their etiology, pathophysiology, and appropriate treatment remain unclear because only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Case presentation: We report a case of idiopathic congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture in a 29-day-old female infant who underwent emergency surgery and survived. A 12-mm-diameter abdominal aortic aneurysm was accidentally discovered during angiographic exploration of a mass on the patient's back. At 29 days of age, the patient went into shock as a result of aneurysm rupture. Therefore, an emergency graft replacement was performed and a 4-mm expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft was placed. Occlusion of the right renal artery occurred eventually, for which two additional surgeries were performed. The patient is now 5 years and 2 months old and remains without renal dysfunction or residual lesions. Conclusion: We successfully repaired an abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture in an infant by performing emergency surgery. Our case shows that aortic aneurysms involving the renal artery may have a high risk of rupture.

Keywords

• Congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Emergency surgery