In an attempt to establish the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in outpatients with intermittent claudication (IC), 295 patients had ultrasonic screening of their abdominal aorta. There were 123 women and 172 men, median age sixty-eight years range from thirty-eight to eighty-six years. Prevalence of AAA was 5.5% (16/291 patients; examination was inconclusive in 4). All of the AAAs except 1 were found in patients older than sixty years. The prevalence in women was high and there was no significant difference between the sexes in number of AAAs: men, 12/172; women, 4/123 (p > 0.16). Of all patients, 71% were smokers and 13 AAAs were in smokers. No AAAs were found in nons mokers. 3 AAAs were found among 27 patients with unknown smoking status. The percentage of smokers was about equal in the two sexes. Because only one third of the AAAs were identified by abdominal palpation, it was insufficient as a screening procedure. The authors conclude that patients of both sexes and more than sixty years old with IC should be offered ultrasonic screening for AAA.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Crawford ES, Stowe CL: True aneurysms of the aorta and iliac arteries. In: Vascular Surgery, a Comprehensive Review, ed. by Moore WS.New York: Grune & Stratton , 1986, pp 391-455.
2.
Amundsen S., Trippestad A., Viste A., et al: Abdominal aortic aneurysms—a national multicentre study . Eur J Vasc Surg1:239-243, 1987.
3.
Jelnes R., Gaardsting O., Hougaard Jensen K, et al: Fate in intermittent claudication: Outcome and risk factors . Br Med J293:1137-1140, 1986 .
4.
Allardice JT , Allwright GJ, Wafula Jmc, et al: High prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms in men with peripheral vascular disease: Screening by ultrasonography . Br J Surg75:240-242, 1988.
5.
Bengtsson H. , Ekberg O., Aspelin P., et al: Abdominal aortic dilatation in patients operated on for carotid artery stenosis. Acta Chir Scand154:441-445, 1988.
6.
Bernstein EF , Chan EL: Abdominal aortic aneurysm in high-risk patients . Ann Surg200:255-263, 1984.
7.
Collin J., Araujo L., Lindsell D.: A community screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Eur J Vasc Surg2:83-86, 1988.
8.
Ohman EM, Fitzsimons P., Butler F., et al: The value of ultrasonography in the screening for asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm. Ir Med J78:127-129, 1985.
Lindholm L., Ejlertsson G., Forsberg L., et al: Low prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm in hypertensive patients. Acta Med Scand218:305-310, 1985.
12.
Thurmond AS, Semler JH: Abdominal aortic aneurysm: Incidence in a population at risk. J Cardiovasc Surg27:457-460, 1986.
13.
Cabellon S. , Moncrief CL, Pierre DR, et al: Incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with atheromatous arterial disease . Am J Surg146:575-576, 1983.
14.
Fitzsimons PJ, Nolan C., Bouchier-Hayes DJ, et al: The use of ultrasound in the confirmation and evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Ir Med J78:185-187, 1985.
