Bekkers Sebastiaan C A M, Habets Jos H M, Cheriex E C, Palmans Andrea, Pinto Yigal, Hofstra Leo, Crijns Harry J G M
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands.
J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2005 May;18(5):389-93. doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2004.09.023.
We sought to investigate the echocardiographic prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in an unselected group of patients referred for regular transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).
Prospectively, during a 3-month period, a limited ultrasound examination of the infrarenal aorta was performed. AAA was defined as a diameter of 30 mm or more.
The abdominal aorta could be visualized in 742 patients. The prevalence of AAA was 4.6%. AAA prevalence increased with age, especially in men. In 34 patients AAA was unknown and aortic diameters exceeded 50 mm in 4 patients. Two underwent elective but urgent operation. Patients with AAA were older and had an increased ascending aorta diameter, larger left ventricular dimensions, higher left ventricular mass index, and lower ejection fraction.
AAA is prevalent in patients referred for regular TTE. Routine rapid screening of the abdominal aorta during TTE is beneficial and should, therefore, be part of a standard TTE examination for patients older then 50 years.
我们试图在一组因常规经胸超声心动图（TTE）检查而就诊的未经过筛选的患者中，调查腹主动脉瘤（AAA）的超声心动图患病率。
前瞻性地，在3个月的时间里，对肾下腹主动脉进行了有限的超声检查。AAA定义为直径30毫米或更大。
742例患者的腹主动脉可以被可视化。AAA的患病率为4.6%。AAA患病率随年龄增加而升高，尤其是在男性中。在34例患者中AAA此前未知，4例患者的主动脉直径超过50毫米。其中2例接受了择期但紧急的手术。AAA患者年龄更大，升主动脉直径增加，左心室尺寸更大，左心室质量指数更高，射血分数更低。
AAA在因常规TTE检查而就诊的患者中很常见。在TTE检查期间对腹主动脉进行常规快速筛查是有益的，因此，应该成为50岁以上患者标准TTE检查的一部分。
