Intraabdominal heterotopic ossification is a very uncommon disorder. We report five new cases, review the previous literature, and discuss the clinical and pathologic features of these lesions. The clinical features of the current cases and of those previously reported are remarkably similar. All patients were middle-aged to elderly men (range, 43-80 years; mean, 61 years) who had small bowel obstruction associated with heterotopic bone formation in the small bowel mesentery, often after one or more abdominal operations. In one case, an initial diagnosis of extraosseous osteosarcoma was considered. This unusual reactive process shares many of the clinical and pathologic features of myositis ossificans, as classically described in somatic soft tissues. We propose to designate this condition heterotopic mesenteric ossification.

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Degenerative aneurysms of the SFA display peculiar characteristics (in terms of clinical onset, diagnostic timing, and clinical behavior) so that they differ from other peripheral aneurysms. In fact, they often grow to reach a considerable diameter before medical attention is sought, presenting with rupture or ischemia at diagnosis. SFA aneurysms preferentially affect elderly men and are often associated with aneurysms elsewhere. However, despite their rarity, the treatment is usually feasible, and long-term outcomes are good.

Infectious aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery are a rare but life-threatening condition due to the risk of visceral ischemia, sepsis, or hemorrhage. In this study, we report the case of a superior mesenteric artery aneurysm (SMAA) secondary to a bioprosthetic valve endocarditis, successfully managed with aneurysm resection and saphenous vein interposition graft. We performed an extensive PubMed-based rewiew of the literature of the last 10 years on SMAA, which include the detection of 38 articles quoting 41 SMAAs. The case histories were divided in 2 groups: 18 cases belonged to nonmycotic group A and 23 cases were included in mycotic group B. In group A, 44.4% of patients were treated surgically, whereas in group B, 90.5%. The 2 study groups significantly differed (P = .01) in terms of surgical treatment. The surgical approach still remains the first choice of treatment in mycotic aneurysm.