Incidental discovery of a chronically thrombosed abdominal aortic aneurysm: case report and literature review

Chronic spontaneously thrombosed abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are rare. We present a patient with a completely thrombosed abdominal aortic aneurysm found incidentally on imaging for evaluation of unrelated abdominal pain. The patient was asymptomatic with regards to the aneurysm due to extensive collateralization of the intercostal and lumbar arteries to the bilateral hypogastric and internal mammary arteries to the common femoral arteries bilaterally. Follow-up imaging after 10 months showed no aneurysmal change. Further study is needed regarding indications for elective repair, medical therapy, and surveillance modality and schedule for patients with chronically occluded AAAs as these patients are at risk for aneurysm rupture and thrombus propagation.