cardiovascular disorders
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA)
Introduction
Abdominal aortic diameter≥3 cm typically constitutes an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The cause is multifactorial, but atherosclerosis is often involved. Most aneurysms grow slowly (~10%/year) without causing symptoms, and most are found incidentally. Risk of rupture is proportional to the size of the aneurysm. Diagnosis is made by ultrasonography or CT scanning. Treatment is surgery or endovascular stent grafting. (See also Overview of Aortic Aneurysms .) Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) account for three fourths of aortic aneurysms and may affect between 0.4 and 7.6% of the people, depending on the population being studied ( General reference ). Prevalence is 3 times greater in males. AAAs typically begin below the renal arteries (infrarenal) but may include renal arterial ostia (pararenal); about 50% involve the iliac arteries. By definition, an aortic diameter 