A Case of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patient / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 49-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) underwent grafting for abdominal aortic aneurysm. She had been receiving steroid therapy for 23 years. The abdominal aneurysm was a saccular type, 7cm in width. It had thick mural thrombi with focal calcification, however, no inflammatory findings were recognized around it. Replacement with 16mm Dacron tube graft was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. Pathological examination showed only atherosclerotic change with no specific inflammation in the aneurysmal wall. It is rare that SLE patients have aortic aneurysm. However, SLE patients should be carefully followed because of their premature atherosclerotis.