Alloush Mohammad Ahmad Mostafa, Hassib Mazin Babikir, Alturkistani Husain, Mohtasib Rafat S, Alhamed Rashed Ali, Almutairi Reham Mukhlid, Alsaadi Mohammed J
Department of Medical School, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
University of Hail, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology Department, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 11;20(8):e0329822. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329822. eCollection 2025.
Accurate reference values for abdominal aortic dimensions and wall thickness are crucial for the early detection and management of vascular diseases, particularly abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). However, there is a lack of population-specific normative data for the Saudi population.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 347 adults [111 males, 236 females] aged 20-80 at King Fahad Medical City. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) was utilised to measure the abdominal aortic lumen area, diameter, and wall thickness at three standard anatomical levels. Pixel-based segmentation and image analysis using MATLAB allowed for precise quantification of wall thickness. Multiple linear regression was employed to assess associations with age, gender, and BMI.
The average diameter of the aorta was 1.87 cm, the average wall thickness was 1.6 mm, and the average lumen area was 3.01 cm². Males generally had thicker aortic walls and larger dimensions than females, particularly in younger age groups. However, these gender differences became less pronounced with older age and increased BMI. A higher BMI was strongly linked to thicker aortic walls (p < 0.001) but was also associated with a reduced lumen area (p < 0.001). Importantly, aortic diameter did not significantly influence wall thickness.
This study provides essential normative data for abdominal aortic measurements in the Saudi population, highlighting age and BMI as significant influencers of aortic morphology. The results support the adoption of population-specific diagnostic criteria and demonstrate the utility of advanced MDCT-based measurement techniques in vascular assessment.
腹主动脉尺寸和壁厚度的准确参考值对于血管疾病，尤其是腹主动脉瘤（AAA）的早期检测和管理至关重要。然而，沙特人群缺乏特定人群的规范数据。
在法赫德国王医疗城对347名年龄在20 - 80岁的成年人[111名男性，236名女性]进行了一项横断面研究。利用多排螺旋计算机断层扫描（MDCT）在三个标准解剖水平测量腹主动脉管腔面积、直径和壁厚度。使用MATLAB进行基于像素的分割和图像分析，以精确量化壁厚度。采用多元线性回归评估与年龄、性别和BMI的关联。
主动脉平均直径为1.87厘米，平均壁厚度为1.6毫米，平均管腔面积为3.01平方厘米²。男性的主动脉壁通常比女性更厚，尺寸更大，尤其是在较年轻的年龄组。然而，随着年龄增长和BMI增加，这些性别差异变得不那么明显。较高的BMI与较厚的主动脉壁密切相关（p < 0.001），但也与管腔面积减小有关（p < 0.001）。重要的是，主动脉直径对壁厚度没有显著影响。
本研究为沙特人群腹主动脉测量提供了重要的规范数据，突出了年龄和BMI是主动脉形态的重要影响因素。结果支持采用特定人群的诊断标准，并证明了基于MDCT的先进测量技术在血管评估中的实用性。
