[Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm by means of transthoracic echocardiography]

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: The increasing incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), mainly due to the aging population, and its mortality of 85-90% in the event of rupture justify opting for early diagnosis and elective treatment to repair it. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the utility of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the study of infrarenal aorta and AAA screening.

Methods: The study included 512 patients (309 men and 203 women) consecutively assessed by TTE and, where possible, abdominal ultrasound for any reason in a cardiology department.

Results: An AAA was detected in 25 patients (5.1%), the minimum age at diagnosis was 55 years, the ratio of men to women was 7.3:1 and the mean diameter of the aneurysms was 39.5 ± 12.2mm. Risk factors associated with AAA were to current and former smoking, age, and presence of femoral murmur. The TTE results were equivalent to those of abdominal ultrasound. All patients with AAA studied by coronary angiography showed significant coronary lesions.

Conclusions: It is feasible and useful to complement conventional TTE with the study of the infrarenal aorta for AAA screening in patients visited at the department of cardiology. This study should be performed mainly in patients ≥55 years old or with risk factors to develop an AAA.