Atherosclerotic abdominal aorta saccular protrusion.

Fourteen saccular abdominal aortic protrusion patients (ages ranged from 55 to 84, mean age 69.1 years) were reported. Their lesions were pathologically or bacteriologically suggested to be of atherosclerotic origin. Other origins were eliminated by using the patients past history or physical and diagnostic examination. All patients were classified into 1 of 3 types; solitary, adjacent to fusiform AAA, and independent of fusiform AAA. Diagnosis and surgical techniques were complicated when coexisting with a fusiform abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and located in the AAA neck. The treatment of choice for 13 patients was surgery. Postoperatively two patients died of hepatic failure at 5 weeks, and from apoplexia at four months, after surgery, respectively. The remaining patients' prognosis is good after a 3-month to 6-year follow-up with a mean period of 2.9 years except 1 medically treated patient. Accordingly, atherosclerotic abdominal aorta saccular protrusion should be carefully diagnosed and be surgically treated in the usual AAA manner. Only juxtarenal saccular protrusions require careful reconstruction, preserving the renal or visceral function.