Mycotic aortic aneurysm in patients who have lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis. A report of two cases.

The diagnosis and treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis have been documented in several reports4 9’3’5. Despite the proximity of the vertebral bodies and the discs to the visceral, vascular, and neurological structures of the retroperitoneum, we know of few reports that document the extraspinal complications of vertebra! osteomyelitis. We report the cases of two patients with vertebral osteomyelitis who had a mycotic aneurysm of the aorta. One of the patients had a spontaneous rupture of the aneurysm with catastrophic results. The presentation, management, and follow-up of these patients, as well as the pitfalls of the treatment of osteomyelitis of the vertebral body, are discussed in order to emphasize the risk of potentially catastrophic vascular complications.

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