Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in 295 Outpatients with Intermittent Claudication

Abstract

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.