Tender Inflammatory Infrarenal Aortic Aneurysm Simulating Acute Rupture

Management of Inflammatory Aortic Aneurysms - A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE

Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (InflAAAs) account for 5 - 10% of aortic aneurysms and are characterised by retroperitoneal fibrosis. Diagnosis is often delayed, and doubts remain about the optimal management strategy. This scoping review describes the current state of knowledge on InflAAAs.

METHODS

Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies that evaluated the diagnosis and treatment of InflAAAs. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was followed.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven papers were selected (low level of evidence), which included 1 554 patients, who were mostly male and heavy smokers. A triad of chronic abdominal or back pain, weight loss, and elevated inflammatory markers was highly suggestive of the diagnosis but rarely present, and fever was noted only randomly. A mantle sign was seen on computed tomography angiography (CTA) in 73 - 100% of patients. Open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) was reported in 1 376 and 178 patients, respectively. OSR was associated with significant iatrogenic bowel (n = 22), urinary tract system (n = 7), venous (n = 30), pancreatic (n = 6), and splenic (n = 5) injuries, while EVAR was associated with lower 30 day mortality (0 - 5% vs. 0 - 32%). One and two year mortality rates were similar between the two treatment modalities (0 - 20% and 0 - 36%, respectively). EVAR was more often associated with post-operative progression of inflammation (17% vs. 0.4%), and a higher frequency of persistent hydronephrosis (> 50%) and limb occlusion (20%). Used in < 10% of patients, corticosteroids led to complete pain relief and a reduction in peri-aortic inflammation within 6 - 18 months.

CONCLUSION

InflAAAs are characterised by non-specific symptoms, with the mantle sign on CTA being pathognomonic. Corticosteroids may be considered a basic treatment that all patients should receive initially. Low quality data indicate that EVAR (vs. OSR) is associated with fewer intra-operative complications and lower peri-operative mortality but more late fibrosis related adverse events. International multicentre registries are required to gather more insights into this challenging pathology.

Endovascular repair versus open repair for inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition characterised by marked thickening of the aortic wall, peri-aneurysmal and retroperitoneal fibrosis, and dense adhesions of adjacent abdominal organs. The pathogenesis of IAAA remains an enigma. The main aim of invasive or surgical therapy of AAAs is prevention or correction of aortic rupture. Prevention or treatment of AAA rupture by open or endovascular repair is proven by numerous studies published in the literature. Treatment of IAAA poses a different challenge to surgeons compared with traditional atherosclerotic AAA because of the potential for iatrogenic injury in open repair or, alternatively, potential increased inflammatory response to endoprosthesis implantation.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of elective endovascular versus open repair for inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms.

SEARCH METHODS

The Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group Trials Search Co-ordinator (TSC) searched the Specialised Register (April 2015) and the Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS) (2015, Issue 3). The TSC searched trial databases for details of ongoing and unpublished studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We sought all published and unpublished randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs and controlled clinical trials comparing results of elective endovascular or open repair of IAAAs without language restriction.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Both review authors independently assessed studies identified for potential inclusion in the review. We planned to conduct data collection and analysis in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified no studies that met the inclusion criteria.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found no published RCTs, quasi RCTs or controlled clinical trials comparing open repair and elective endovascular repair for IAAA, assessing immediate (30-day), intermediate (up to one-year follow-up) and long-term (more than one-year follow-up) mortality or complications rates. High-quality studies evaluating the best treatment for inflammatory abdominal aneurysm repair are required.

Infected aortic aneurysm and inflammatory aortic aneurysm--in search of an optimal differential diagnosis

Infected aortic aneurysm and inflammatory aortic aneurysm each account for a minor fraction of the total incidence of aortic aneurysm and are associated with periaortic inflammation. Despite the similarity, infected aortic aneurysm generally shows a more rapid change in clinical condition, leading to a fatal outcome; in addition, delayed diagnosis and misuse of corticosteroid or immunosuppressing drugs may lead to uncontrolled growth of microorganisms. Therefore, it is mandatory that detection of aortic aneurysm is followed by accurate differential diagnosis. In general, infected aortic aneurysm appears usually as a saccular form aneurysm with nodularity, irregular configuration; however, the differential diagnosis may not be easy sometimes for the following reasons: (1) symptoms, such as abdominal and/or back pain and fever, and blood test abnormalities, such as elevated C-reactive protein and enhanced erythrocyte sedimentation rate, are common in infected aortic aneurysm, but they are not found infrequently in inflammatory aortic aneurysm; (2) some inflammatory aortic aneurysms are immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related, but not all of them; (3) the prevalence of IgG4 positivity in infected aortic aneurysm has not been well investigated; (4) enhanced uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) by 18F-FDG-positron emission tomography may not distinguish between inflammation mediated by autoimmunity and that mediated by microorganism infection. Here we discuss the characteristics of these two forms of aortic aneurysm and the points of which we have to be aware before reaching a final diagnosis.