Mycotic aneurysms of the thoracic aorta.

Between February 1982 and December 1992 we operated on five patients (three men, two women; aged 40 to 70 years) with mycotic aneurysms of the thoracic aorta. One patient had an aneurysm of the ascending aorta, once the aortic arch and in three cases the descending thoracic aorta were involved. In four of the five patients, excision of the aneurysm and in situ reconstruction of the aorta with a Dacron graft was performed, one patient required a Dacron graft repair and aortic valve replacement. We employed deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest (2), extracorporeal circulation (1), an axillofemoral shunt (1) and a centrifugal pump (1) for cerebral and spinal cord protection. One patient died 4 months postoperatively, the other four patients were without recurrent graft infection and are free of symptoms between 20 months and 5 years postoperatively.