Isolated Aneurysm of the Left Common Iliac Artery that was Secondary to Medial Degeneration

ABSTRACT

Isolated aneurysm of the common iliac artery that is secondary to medial degeneration (MD) is a very rare clinical entity. MD is an important histological abnormality that is commonly seen in the annuloaortic ectasia with Marfan syndrome. This abnormality is also observed in congenital aortic disease, atherosclerosis, and aging. This aortic disease develops as the consequences of disruption of the medial elastic layers in association with loss of vascular smooth muscle cells and the accumulation of proteoglycans. An iliac aneurysm greater than 3 cm in diameter should be treated. The treatment options include open surgical replacement with prosthetic graft or endovascular stent grafting. We experienced one case of the isolated common iliac artery aneurysm in a 60 year-old female patient. Her chief complaint was a pulsatile painful mass in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen that she had suffered with for 5 days. She was treated by performing aorto-left external iliac artery bypass with a Dacron graft (10 mm in diameter). The result was excellent. We report here on a case of a isolated common iliac artery aneurysm that was caused by MD, and we include a review of the relevant literature.