Abstract

CARBAYO GARCIA, José Juan; RODRIGUEZ LOSANEZ, Jesús  and  SASTRE, José Félix. Low back pain. Rev Clin Med Fam [online]. 2012, vol.5, n.2, pp.0-143. ISSN 2386-8201.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1699-695X2012000200011.

A 67 year old male with a history of high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus and chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy, seeking medical assistance for low back pain, which had commenced 15 days before without an obvious triggering factor and which, although it was initially centred in the back, now affected the buttock, the posterosuperior side of the right thigh and inguinal area. He experienced moderately intense pain and felt relief on resting and taking analgesics. The biggest challenge in diagnosing low back pain is to differentiate between those cases originating in benign musculoskeletal processes and those produced by specific disease which require fast and appropriate treatment. Although it is not usually recommended to carry out imaging tests (X-rays, RNM, TAC) on patients with acute low back pain without clear warning signs, they were carried out on the patient due to the above criteria. The X-ray showed degenerative signs and the presence of calcification and possible infrarenal aortic dilation. An ultrasound scan was carried out, corroborating the presence of a 5cm diameter abdominal aortic aneurysm. He was sent to a hospital emergency department where a TAC was carried out, confirming the diagnosis and was referred to vascular surgery, given its size and the possible association of symptoms.

Keywords : Low back pain; Aneurysm; Ultrasonography.

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