Chronic-contained ruptured aortic aneurysm: un unusual cause of back pain

Chronic contained rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm is a rare event which can cause diagnostic difficulties. It can present as a chronic back pain and the delayed diagnosis and delayed surgical repair may compromise the final results. The outcome of urgent repair of a chronic contained leak is equivalent to that of elective aneurysm repair. We report a case of contained rupture of a small abdominal aortic aneurysm with delayed diagnosis, evaluated by computed tomography showing a beginning erosion of the lumbar vertebral body. The patient was operated on within 24 hours on admission with uneventful surgical outcome.