Pseudoaneurysms of the ascending aorta are rare, disastrous complications of surgical manipulation
of the aorta and its surroundings. They frequently require emergency surgical
intervention due to a high risk of sudden rupture and hemorrhage. We herein present the case
of a pseudoaneurysm (130 mm in diameter) of the ascending aorta with a compressive effect
on the left atrium and right coronary artery ostium at the site of a tube graft implanted
13 years previously via the Bental procedure in a 34 year-old man. The susceptibility of these
pseudoaneurysms to silently increase in size through the years leads to a delayed diagnosis,
with an increased risk of rupture and mortality, necessitating long-term follow-ups with
a view to detecting it in the initial stages, when it is easier to perform surgical or endovascular
interventions with a lower risk of mortality. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 2: 185-188