Severe erosion of lumbar vertebral body because of a chronic ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.
BACKGROUND
Erosion of vertebral bodies because of abdominal aortic aneurysm is an extremely rare condition. This vertebral destruction is usually seen after aortic graft surgery; nevertheless, it is not expected in primary aortic aneurysms.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article was to present a patient who suffers from back and hip pain because of a chronic ruptured primary aortic aneurysm.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
A 51-year-old patient had complaints of back pain. Physical examination revealed a pulsatile mass in the periumblical region. By using conventional radiographies, vertebral erosion was detected at the anterior part of L3-L4-L5 vertebrae. A chronic ruptured thrombosed aortic aneurysm was identified by magnetic resonance imaging.


RESULTS
After resection of the aneurysm, it was possible that the lack of anterior column support could result in future instability. Therefore, an L4-L5 anterior partial corpectomy and reconstruction of the anterior defect with titanium mesh cage with posterior instrumentation and fusion were performed.


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that back pain caused by chronic aortic aneurysms is a rare condition and may be one of the possible etiologies in differential diagnosis of low back pain and/or sciatica in some patients.
Aydogan
Mehmet
M
Istanbul Spine Center, Florence Nightingale Hospital, Abide-i hurriyet cd. no: 290 sisli, Istanbul 34360, Turkey. ortospine@yahoo.com
Karatoprak
Omer
O
Mirzanli
Cuneyd
C
Ozturk
Cagatay
C
Tezer
Mehmet
M
Hamzaoglu
Azmi
A
D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017586:Diskectomy; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion