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Lumbar disc herniation may mask coral reef aorta

Serial imaging documented 6 years of progressive aortic calcification, culminating in near occlusion before open surgical reconstruction restored blood flow.

  • By

  • Andrea Surnit

  • October 16, 2026

  • 4 min

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  • 1

    A 50-year-old man with lumbar disc herniation developed progressive bilateral leg ischemia, including claudication and severe rest pain.

  • 2

    Serial CT scans over 6 years showed progressive infrarenal aortic calcification, culminating in near-complete obstruction by protruding plaques.

  • 3

    The patient’s bilateral ankle-brachial index fell from 0.99 and 1.07 to 0.49, with weak femoral and barely palpable distal pulses.

  • 4

    Extensive circumferential calcification made endovascular treatment unsuitable, and open aortic graft replacement with inferior mesenteric artery reconstruction was performed.

  • 5

    At 1 year, the patient was asymptomatic with bilateral ankle-brachial indices of 1.07 and patent grafts; the single case cannot establish comparative treatment effectiveness or long-term durability.

Original Source(s)

Lumbar disc herniation may mask coral reef aorta

  • by Andrea Surnit

  • October 16, 2026

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