AMYLOIDOSIS OF CORAL-REEF INFRARENAL AORT A

This case concerns a 37-year-old woman with a cruro-gluteal claudicati on, from which she had been suffering since the age of 33, and which p revented her from walking more than 50 metres. The arteriographic exam ination revealed preocclusive coralliform proliferations of the infrar enal aorta, with a 30 % stenosis of the right internal carotid artery. After 18 months, a straight aorto-aortic tube yielded excellent resul ts. The results of the pathological examination led to the conclusion that this was a secondary aortic amyloidosis with no specific lesions of the aortic wall. This coral reef aorta is distinguished by its infr arenal location (fourth case worldwide), as well as by the major amylo tic infiltrations of the endoaortic proliferations and of the aortic w all. In the absence of generalized amyloidosis, we suspect massive loc alized amyloidosis subsequent to an old inflammatory aortic process co mpatible with a juvenile atheroma opened in the aortic lumen or more p robably a sequel of Takayasu's disease (J Mal Vase 1997; 22: pages 43- 47).