Aortic rupture due to pneumococcal infection in aortoiliac stents

Abstract

We report a rare case of pneumococcal aortitis secondary to endovascular bare-metal stent infection. The patient was a 70-year-old man presenting with back pain 1 year after aortoiliac implantation of bare-metal kissing stents. Final diagnosis was microbial aortitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae involving the stents that resulted in a contained aortic rupture requiring urgent surgical treatment. Emergency extra-anatomic revascularization, excision of the infected tissues, and appropriate antibiotic therapy led to a favorable outcome. A high index of suspicion is required in such a situation because the mortality rate is very high in the absence of appropriate treatment.