Abstract
A chronic contained rupture of an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm eroded a lumbar vertebra. A 53-year-old man complained of severe back pain for 6 months. Recently the back pain had increased. The patient looked well but a pulsatile mass in the abdomen was palpable. A CT and MRI of the abdomen and lumbar spine revealed the infrarenal abdominal aneurysm which demonstrated destruction of the third and fourth lumbar vertebra. At operation, there was a true aneurysm of the native aorta with a rupture of the posterior wall, resulting in a retroperitoneal hematoma. An orifice of the ruptured pseudoaneurysma was 2×2cm in size. An aortobiiliac graft was implanted. The patient did well postoperatively and was discharged on the 32nd postoperative day.
