Successful resection of a tuberculous pseudoaneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

An aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta was found in a 55-year-old woman. She had hemoptysis, fever, and weight loss beginning 1 month before hospitalization. A miliary tuberculosis developed after angiography. The patient underwent surgical resection of the aneurysm, which proved to be tuberculous. The aortic wall was reconstructed with a Dacron patch. Antituberculosis pharmacotherapy, started before operation, was discontinued after 16 months of administration. The patient is doing well 19 months after operation. The English literature reports only 7 other cases of surgical treatment of tuberculous aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. According to previous reports, early surgical intervention, combined with preoperative and prolonged postoperative antituberculosis therapy and close postoperative follow-up, is mandatory in this group of patients.