title: Rupture of an aortic abdominal aneurysm presenting as painful obstructive jaundice.
abstract: An unusual case of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is described. The patient presented with sudden abdominal pain and obstructive jaundice and was misdiagnosed as suffering from biliary colic. Two months later there was a pulsating mass in the abdomen palpated and the patient operated on. The only pathology which could explain the jaundice was an organized retroperitoneal hematoma extending from a small sealed rupture of the aneurysm towards the head of the pancreas and duodenum.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans