In this retrospective study we report 15 cases of peripheral
infected aneurysms. The sex ratio was 13/2 and the mean age was 23 years. Patients presented with
infection syndrome in 9 cases, vascular mass in 11 cases and limb
ischemia in 2 instances. Arterial lesion was documented and confirmed by echography, tomodensitometry and angiography. The
infection was recognised by different criteria the main one being micro-organism isolation. In 10 cases
aneurysm was secondary to
bacterial endocarditis, in 4 it was primary and in one case it was related to arterial
catheter procedure. Treatment is based on
antibiotics and surgical management by removing of
infected aneurysm and arterial restoration whenever possible. Arterial flowerest re-establishment was done in 10 patients among whom 6 by anatomic procedures 4 by extra-anatomic ones. Hospital mortality rate was 13% (2/15), all deaths occurred after cardiac surgery for
endocarditis. Two patients were readmitted for adjacent spine
infection, one month and one and a half respectively after surgery. One young patient required late surgery (aorto-bifémoral bypass) 24 months after initial treatment and one patient died by intra-duodenal
rupture of recurrent
false aneurysm. Analysis of our results and literature review allow discussion of clinical, physiopathological and specially therapeutic aspects of
infected aneurysm.