Idiopathic Spontaneous Perforation of the Aorta During Pregnancy

Abstract

A thirty-four year old white female who was six to seven months pregnant developed abdominal distress. She rapidly deteriorated and developed cardiac arrest. Following attempted resuscitation at home, she was admitted to the hos pital and had emergency laparotomy and cesarian section, both of which were unsuccessful. At surgery, massive hemorrhage was found. At autopsy, three lacerations were found in the upper abdominal aorta without evidence of micro scopic cystic medial necrosis despite an apparent history of such in her mother. This represents a rare spontaneous idiopathic perforation of the aorta during pregnancy.