Wegener's granulomatosis complicated by arterial aneurysm

Intern Med. 1995 Aug;34(8):790-3. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.34.790.

Abstract

Wegener's granulomatosis is a distinct clinicopathologic entity characterized by granulomatous vasculitis of the upper and lower respiratory tract and kidneys. A 56-year-old Japanese man with Wegener's granulomatosis died of intraperitoneal hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm of his left gastric artery. Histological findings revealed necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis involving this artery. No previously published reports have described Wegener's granulomatosis patients with aneurysms in such a large artery. We conclude that this case represents either an atypical form of Wegener's granulomatosis or a polyangiitis overlap syndrome of Wegener's granulomatosis and classic polyarteritis nodosa.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aneurysm / etiology*
  • Aneurysm / pathology
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / complications*
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rupture, Spontaneous
  • Stomach / blood supply*
  • Stomach / pathology