Abdominal Artery Aneurysm

Question 1

AAA- risk factors

Answer 1

• Atherosclerotic damage
• Smoking
• Male
• Hypertension
• Hyperlipidaemia
• Connective tissue disorders: Marfan’s, Ehler-Danlos
• Inflammatory disorders: Behcet’s disease, Takayasu’s arteritis

Question 2

AAA- symptoms

Answer 2

•	Unruptured
o	No symptoms
o	Usually an incidental finding
o	May have pain in back, abdomen, loin or groin
•	Ruptured
o	Pain in back, abdomen, loin or groin
o	Sudden/severe
o	Syncope
o	Shock

Question 3

AAA- signs on exam

Answer 3

• Pulsatile, laterally expansile
• Abdominal bruit
• Retroperitoneal haemorrhage- Grey-Turner’s sign

Question 4

AAA- investigations

Answer 4

• Bloods
o FBC, clotting screen, renal/liver function
o Cross match if surgery planned
• Scans
o Ultrasound- detect aneurysm, cannot tell if leaking
o CT with contrast- if ruptured
o MRI angiography