Abdominal aortic occlusion of young adults

Abstract

The occlusion of the infrarenal aorta is a rare event, which is potentially life threatening. We present the case of a heavy smoking, 35-year-old woman who was referred to the emergency department of our hospital because of sudden abdominal pain and urinary incontinence. She also complained of a two-year history of bilateral intermittent claudication. A computerized tomography revealed the thrombosis of the abdominal aorta and of both iliac arteries. Treatment consists of an aortoiliac thromboendarterectomy (AITE). For young patients with atheromatous occlusive disease of the infrarenal aorta, AITE is an attractive alternative to bypass grafting. © 2011 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.