Gorham disease of the lumbar spine with an abdominal aortic aneurysm: a case report

Abstract Background context Reports of Gorham disease of the lumbar spine complicated by abdominal aortic aneurysms are rare. Purpose We herein report the case of a patient with Gorham disease of the lumber spine involving an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Study design Case report. Methods A 49-year-old man had a 1-month history of right leg pain and severe low back pain. Plain lumbar radiography revealed an osteolytic lesion in the L4 vertebral body. Computed tomography images demonstrated the presence of an extensive osteolytic lesion in the L4 vertebral body and an AAA in front of the L4 vertebral body. Results The patient underwent mass resection, spinal reconstruction, and blood vessel prosthesis implantation. During surgery, it was found that the wall of the aorta had completely disappeared and was shielded by the tumor mass; therefore, we speculated that the mass in the lumbar spine had directly invaded the aorta. Conclusions The patient was able to walk without right leg or low back pain 1 year after undergoing surgery. No recurrence was demonstrated in the magnetic resonance images taken 1 year and 10 months after surgery.