Infectious mediastinitis with an aortic aneurysm. A surgically treated case.
A patient presented with fever and a mediastinal mass. Aortography revealed a small aneurysm within the mass. At thoracic surgery a mediastinal abscess with a ruptured aortic aneurysm was found. The resected part of the aorta was successfully replaced with a graft and the patient survived for ten days, finally succumbing from the grave infection but with a functioning graft. Multiple sections revealed a necrotic tumour with solid cancer cells from an undifferentiated carcinoma, explaining the pathogenesis of the mediastinitis as well as the lack of cure with antibiotic treatment.
D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*