2012 Volume 52 Issue January Pages 63-66
A 66-year-old man presented complaining of postprandial abdominal pain. A contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen showed a low-density area surrounding the superior mesenteric artery and the left internal iliac artery. Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) was diagnosed and steroid therapy was initiated. The retroperitoneal mass subsequently regressed and the symptoms resolved. Recent reports suggest that RPF is associated with IgG4-related disease and with inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm. Vascular surgeons, therefore, should consider RPF as part of their differential diagnoses.