Surgical Resection of a Tuberculous Aneurysm of the Ascending Aorta

Abstract

IN 1885 Sir William Osler¹ coined the term "mycotic aneurysm." Although the phrase may have become antiquated by modern-day terminology, it is one that seems to have become firmly established in medical literature owing to long usage and perhaps in deference to its originator. Numerous case reports dealing with "mycotic" aneurysms of bacterial origin have been reported; however, those due to tuberculosis are few, and, if one limits the survey to the aorta, they are exceedingly rare. In 1945 Revell² made an exhaustive review of the literature in which he located 23 primary mycotic aneurysms, none of which were tuberculous . . .