Ultrasound Surveillance of Screening Detected Subaneurysmal Aortas in 65 Year Old Men: A Five Year Rescan Predicts Those at Risk of Developing Clinically Relevant Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abstract

Background: The subgroup of men with an aortic diameter of 25 – 29 mm (i.e., subaneurysmal aorta [SAA]) has attracted increasing attention, not least against the background of the introduction of population screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). SAAs fall outside the definition of AAAs. Consequently, many screening programmes exclude individuals with SAAs from further surveillance. However, recent reports suggest that the subgroup of patients with SAA have a substantial risk of developing “true” AAAs over time and, more importantly, may reach the threshold for surgical intervention or rupture.