Pseudoaneurysm of the abdominal aorta due to a needle-like osteophyte on the first lumbar vertebra

A 46-year-old woman was admitted with acute abdominal pain radiating to the back. Computed tomography examinations showed a needle-thin perforation of the aorta, opposite the origin of the superior mesenteric artery, with a pseudoaneurysm. A needle-sharp spinal osteophyte was located exactly opposite the perforation. There was no sign of infection, and the perforation seemed to have been caused by the osteophyte. This aortic perforation occurred without any major trauma, but repeated minor occupational trauma to her abdomen may have played an etiologic role. The pseudoaneurysm and adjacent aorta were exposed through a thoracolaparotomy. The aortic wall was normal, with good tensile strength; therefore, the perforation in the aortic wall was sutured with a double vascular suture, and the osteophyte was resected. To our knowledge, aortic perforation due to a vertebral osteophyte in the absence of major trauma has not previously been described.