Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Patients with Confirmed Symptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease

ABSTRACT

The early diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysms are difficult, especially when they are not clinically evident. Because of the generalized nature of atherosclerosis, there is reason to believe that there is a high incidence of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta in patients with peripheral vascular disease. But the screening test for hidden abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with peripheral arterial disease has not been used for routine manner. So we retrospectively reviewed the 9 patients who had asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease during the last four and half-year period among them three aneurysms were screened preoperatively by physical examination with their diameter more than 5 cm and 6 aneurysms were found intraoperatively with their mean diameter of 3.8 cm. The ages ranged from 66 through 84 years with the mean age 73 years. There were 7 men and 2 women. The sites of the peripheral occlusive disease is as follows femoral artery only in 1, iliac artery only in 2, both iliac and femoral arteries in 5, and from iliac artery through tibial artery with thrombus formation in 1. We suggest that ultrasonographic screening for the presence of hidden abdominal aortic aneurysm preoperatively in patients with lower extremity occlusive arterial disease is needed, especially when the ages of patients is older than 65 years and the site of arterial disease include iliac segment.