Abstract
An 84-year-old man came to the hospital with anorexia and a 10-kg weight loss over the past three months ; he also had frequent vomiting that had started the day before admission. On abdominal examination, the pulsing aorta was palpable. Abdominal computed tomography showed an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), distal to the bifurcation of the renal artery, with a maximum diameter of 64 mm. The aneurysm compressed the third portion of the duodenum, so the stomach and the oral side of the duodenum showed prominent expansion. The patient was admitted with a diagnosis of duodenal obstruction by an AAA. An upper GI series showed delay of contrast material reaching the second to third portions of the duodenum, which confirmed the diagnosis of compression by the AAA. Abdominal aortic replacement was performed on the 17th day to allow him to resume oral intake. He was discharged on the 21st post-operative day. Duodenal obstruction caused by an AAA has rarely been reported, which implies that it is a rare disease.
