Infected Thoracic Aneurysm with Progressive Exudative Unilateral Pleural Effusion: A Case Report and Literature Review
Abstract
An infected aneurysm can be fatal; however, its early diagnosis is challenging because of the non-specificity of its symptoms. We herein report the case of a 90-year-old female patient with an infected aneurysm who presented with progressive, unilateral pleural effusion. A pleural fluid analysis revealed a mononuclear cell-predominant exudate with an elevated adenosine deaminase (ADA) level of 61.4 U/L. While these findings indicate that an infected aneurysm should be considered a possible cause of unilateral pleural effusion, the presence of elevated ADA, suggesting an unrelated condition, may lead to a misdiagnosis. Blood cultures and follow-up imaging are therefore necessary adjuncts to a comprehensive assessment of the patient's condition if an infected aneurysm is to be definitively diagnosed.
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BibTeX
@article{osawa2026infected,
title = {{Infected Thoracic Aneurysm with Progressive Exudative Unilateral Pleural Effusion: A Case Report and Literature Review}},
author = {Shin Osawa and Yasuhiro Kano and Rentaro Oda and Kengo Murata},
journal = {Internal Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.2169/internalmedicine.5652-25},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/65/14/65_5652-25/_article},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Infected Thoracic Aneurysm with Progressive Exudative Unilateral Pleural Effusion: A Case Report and Literature Review
AU - Shin Osawa
AU - Yasuhiro Kano
AU - Rentaro Oda
AU - Kengo Murata
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/15
JO - Internal Medicine
DO - 10.2169/internalmedicine.5652-25
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/65/14/65_5652-25/_article
AB - An infected aneurysm can be fatal; however, its early diagnosis is challenging because of the non-specificity of its symptoms. We herein report the case of a 90-year-old female patient with an infected aneurysm who presented with progressive, unilateral pleural effusion. A pleural fluid analysis revealed a mononuclear cell-predominant exudate with an elevated adenosine deaminase (ADA) level of 61.4 U/L. While these findings indicate that an infected aneurysm should be considered a possible cause of unilateral pleural effusion, the presence of elevated ADA, suggesting an unrelated condition, may lead to a misdiagnosis. Blood cultures and follow-up imaging are therefore necessary adjuncts to a comprehensive assessment of the patient's condition if an infected aneurysm is to be definitively diagnosed.
SN - 1349-7235
SN - 0918-2918
ER -