Abdominal aortic aneurysm with arteritis in ankylosing spondylitis.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm with arteritis in ankylosing spondylitis is described. An abdominal aortic aneurysm, 48-mm in diameter, in a 68-year-old woman with HLA-B27-associated ankylosing spondylitis was successfully replaced with a tube graft. The suture lines of the aortic wall were reinforced with Teflon felt strips. Pathologic examination of the aneurysmal wall revealed hyalinization of the connective tissue, with numerous lymphocytic infiltrates, remarkable calcification, and no elastic fibers. The original structure of the arterial wall was not recognized. These findings are compatible with aortitis reported in ankylosing spondylitis.