Left Vocal Cord Palsy: An Unusual Presentation of a Mycotic Aneurysm of the Aorta Caused by Salmonella cholerasuis

Abstract

A 67-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of fever, productive cough and a concomitant hoarseness. A para-aortic lesion was found on chest X-ray, and bronchoscopy revealed a left vocal cord palsy. Due to rapid enlargement of the lesion, angiography was performed, which revealed a pseudoaneurysm at the descending aorta. Operation disclosed an infected aneurysm with rupture, and tissue culture yielded Salmonella cholerasuis. The findings of a mycotic aneurysm and hoarseness due to compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is a rare and serious combination caused by salmonella, previously unreported in the medical literature.