Abstract
A 60-year-old man who had undergone aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation 2 years previously and who was receiving chronic steroid therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, was transferred to our hospital because of a sudden onset of chest and back pain. Computed tomography (CT) and aortography demonstrated a giant ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta. An emergency operation was performed. The ostium of the pseudoaneurysm was successfully closed under hypothermic circulatory arrest using a cardiopulmonary bypass and an occluding balloon. The postoperative course was uneventful, and postoperative CT showed that the pseudoaneurysm had disappeared completely. In this case, it was strongly suggested that the pseudoaneurysm was caused by aortic wall fragility that resulted from chronic steroid therapy.
