Aortic aneurysms in infants and children are quite rare. The use of umbilical artery catheters in the management of critically ill neonates has been associated with infection and subsequent aneurysm formation. There have been 46 cases reported (including our own); most of the aneurysms have been located in the abdominal aorta and have displayed saccular morphology. Through an analysis of the literature, we identified two factors that had significant correlation with improved survival: diagnosis before surgery and surgical repair (P <.05). This report presents the case of a 23-day-old neonate with an abdominal aortic aneurysm and hypertension. On the basis of our literature review, we offer a management algorithm for this rare but very serious complication of umbilical artery catheterization.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.