Respiratory insufficiency caused by an aneurysm with multiple vascular lesions

A 71-year-old woman, who presented tracheobronchial obstruction caused by a thoracic aortic aneurysm, was admitted to our institution. Although she ha d multiple cerebral infarctions, old myocardial infarction, bilateral iliof emoral atherosclerotic lesions with abdominal aortic aneurysm, and superior vena cava syndrome, aneurysmectomy was undertaken in order to rescue her f rom respiratory insufficiency. The operation successfully relieved her of e xertional dyspnea and dysphagia.