Chronic consumption coagulopathy accompanying abdominal aortic aneurysm
W. T. Siebert and E. A. Natelson
Each of two patients harboring a stable abdominal aortic aneurysm
manifested severe recurrent bleeding consequent to chronic consumption
coagulopathy (CCC). Both underwent successful aneurysmectomy, but in only
one patient did bleeding cease and depressed clotting factors return to
normal activity. In the other patient, subsequent observations suggested
that his coagulopathy actually resulted from occult pancreatic carcinoma.
We propose here criteria for establishing stable aneurysm as the cause of
CCC and demonstrate the efficacy of heparin in reversing the coagulation
defect prior to surgical intervention. These cases also illustrate that the
discovery of CCC accompanying stable aneurysm may signal the presence of
another underlying disorder.
