Postoperative Diagnosis of Syphilitic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Case Report

Abstract

A case of a 77-year-old female with a syphilitic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is reported. Despite the rarity of syphilitic vasculitis today, increasing infection rates make it a relevant concern. The patient underwent successful open surgical repair with a Y-graft. Pathological findings, including medial elastic fiber loss and inflammatory cell clusters, were consistent with syphilitic aortitis. Although postoperative antibiotic treatment reduced Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR), the patient developed a type B aortic dissection 395 days after surgery. This highlights that patients with syphilitic aortitis require vigilant, long-term aortic monitoring even after surgery.