title: Giant syphilitic aortic aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Thoracic aortic aneurysm formation is a known complication of late syphilis. Large aneurysms may cause symptoms via mass effect. When aneurysms compress the pulmonary artery, pulmonary arterial hypertension and right heart failure may result. We report the case of a 76-year-old man who presented with right heart failure secondary to an 11-cm syphilitic thoracic aortic aneurysm, and discuss the evolving epidemiology, complications, diagnosis and management of syphilitic aortitis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Tomey
authors.forename: Venkatesh L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: Joshua A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Beckman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D013589:Syphilis, Cardiovascular / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification