[Aneurysm of the abdominal aorta in infants. Apropos of a case]

Abstract

The sudden development of an abdominal mass following umbilical artery catheterization during neonatal reanimation in a 1-month-old infant of an alcoholic mother was found to be due to an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Diagnosis was established by computed tomography and confirmed by arteriography. In the absence of any pathological examination, surgical treatment having been temporarily delayed, a mycotic origin for the aneurysm was suggested by the conditions of onset. A review of the 13 cases of primary mycotic aneurysms of the abdominal aorta in infants reported in the literature emphasizes the rare but serious nature of these lesions at this age.