INTRODUCTION: Aortic mural thrombus (AMT) in a non-atherosclerotic aorta is rare but potentially catastrophic and may be difficult to distinguish from septic aortic pathology when it occurs alongside a deep postoperative infection. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) shortens hospital stay and shifts the recognition of serious complications to the early post-discharge period. We report the case of a patient who underwent colorectal cancer surgery within an ERAS protocol who developed a large AMT on POD 10, coincident with Streptococcus anginosus-positive deep surgical-site infection (SSI) but without bacteremia or aortitis on imaging.
NAKASHIMA et al. (2026) studied this question.