Giant femoral aneurysm in giant cell arteritis

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) which mostly causes thoracic aortic aneurysm is the most common vasculopathy of medium and large vessels, especially in people over 50 years of age. A 63-year-old male patient presented with pain and swelling in the right inguinal region. On examination, a pulsatile mass was palpable in the right femoral region. Computed tomographic angiography showed aneurysm enlargement reaching 70.9 mm in diameter at the level of the right common femoral artery (CFA). Aneurysm excision and Dacron graft interposition surgery was performed for the patient with local pain symptoms. The patient who had no postoperative complication was discharged 3 days later. Two weeks later, the pathology result of the aneurysm was obtained. Pathological examination of the aneurysm was GCA, and also, temporal artery biopsy was also performed to clarify the diagnosis. In this case report, we report the first defined CFA aneurysm caused by GCA and its surgical treatment. In the patient whom we did not think of as inflammatory arteritis at the first stage, we reached the actual diagnosis with pathology examination. Therefore, we recommend that all surgically removed aneurysm tissues be sent for pathology examination.