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Case Reports
. 2017 Mar;26(1):60-63.
doi: 10.1055/s-0036-1583522. Epub 2016 May 5.

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm from Chronic Antiestrogen Therapy

Rishi Tripathi  1 , Sandeep Sainathan  1 , Bulat A Ziganshin  2 , John A Elefteriades  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm from Chronic Antiestrogen Therapy

Rishi Tripathi et al. Int J Angiol. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Aortic aneurysms are a common but often undetected pathology prevalent in the population. They are often detected as incidental findings on imaging studies performed for unrelated pathologies. Estrogens have been shown to exert a protective influence on aortic tissue. Pharmacological agents blocking the actions of estrogens may thus be implicated in causing aortic pathologies. We present the case of an elderly woman with breast carcinoma treated for 18 years with antiestrogen therapy who subsequently developed acute thoracic aortic deterioration (enlargement and wall disruption).

Keywords: aortic aneurysm; breast carcinoma; estrogen.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest The authors have no conflict of interest relevant to this case report.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Panels on the left (A–D) show a normal aortic arch and thoracic and abdominal descending aorta. Panels on the right (E–H) represent a scan 36 days later: the descending aorta has increased to 4.7 cm and shows localized wall deterioration, with multiple areas of local (not continuous) flap-like appearance (yellow arrow) suggesting that the aortic wall is “falling apart.”
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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