Infective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm due to Haemophilus Influenza Identified via the Polymerase Chain Reaction

Abstract Infective abdominal aortic aneurysms due to Haemophilus influenza are rarely reported. We report a case in a 65 year old female presenting with abdominal pain, weight loss, pyrexia and elevated inflammatory markers. The patient was found to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm clinically and on CT scanning. At surgery, an inflammatory aneurysm was successfully repaired using an autogenous vein panel-graft. Tissue samples were analysed using the polymerase chain reaction, identifying H. influenza as the causative organism. H. influenza is a scarcely reported cause of infective aortic aneurysms. The mechanism of infection is unknown. Reference is made to existing reports of such infection.