The rupture of descending thoracic aorta due to the necrosis of aortic intimal sarcoma.

Aortic intimal sarcoma is rare and the prognosis is very poor. We experienced a case of ruptured aortic intimal sarcoma in the descending aorta. A 69-year-old man underwent an emergency operation for the rupture of descending aorta. The postoperative course was uneventful. The histological examination of aortic wall showed aortic intimal sarcoma. The patient developed a local recurrence and abdominal dissemination of the tumor three months after surgery. We report the case and discuss about the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic aortic intimal sarcoma.