Endovascular treatment of Brucella-infected abdominal aortic aneurysm

RATIONALE In very rare cases, a primary infected abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA) is caused by a species of Brucella. In this report, we report such a case that was successfully treated with a novel approach. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first case occurring in China, in which an infection of the abdominal aortic aneurysm was caused by a Brucella species. PATIENT CONCERNS The clinical findings included high fever, fatigue, and abdominal pain. DIAGNOSES The diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography angiography and by bacteriologic isolation from the patient's blood culture. INTERVENTIONS The patient was given endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and Brucella-sensitive antibiotics for 6 weeks. OUTCOMES During the 10-month follow-up, the patient's clinical course remained uneventful. LESSONS Our case study supports the premise that endovascular aneurysm repair is an appropriate alternative strategy to treat an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm. Compared with conventional surgical treatment, EVAR with long-term oral antibiotics is a simpler, less traumatic, and more efficient procedure. However, this needs to be further evaluated through long-term follow-up.