NONANASTOMOTIC ANEURYSM FORMATION IN A DACRON ARTERIAL GRAFT - REPORTOF A CASE

Dacron prostheses are the most widely used grafts in replacement proce dures for abdominal aortic aneurysms, having been proven as the most r eliable substitute for arterial replacement. However,,ve present herei n the rare case of an 82-year-old woman in whom nonanastomotic aneurys m formation occurred in the graft as a complication associated with a Dacron prosthesis. The patient presented with a pulsatile mass in the right inguinal region. She had undergone surgery 13 years earlier for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, at which time an aortobifemoral graft re construction had been performed with a double-velour knitted Dacron pr osthesis. The pulsatile mass was found to be a nonanastomotic aneurysm of the right limb of the bifurcated graft with an intact distal anast omosis. In this case, the development of the graft aneurysm seemed to result from deterioration of the Dacron prosthesis itself due to mecha nical fatigue caused by the inguinal band.