Unoperated abdominal aortic aneurysm: presentation and natural history.

The natural history of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is death from rupture unless the patient dies from another cause prior to rupture. Elective aortic grafting is the treatment of choice. Following rupture, emergency operation is the only treatment which will prolong the patient's survival. Controversy still exists as to the optimum management in poor risk patients and in those with a small aneurysm. This paper describes the presentation and natural history of 65 patients presenting with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm who did not have an emergency operation, and a further 27 patients in whom the diagnosis of intact AAA was made who did not have an elective aortic replacement graft. The correct diagnosis was made at the time of admission in only 43 of the 65 patients with ruptured aneurysms. The diagnostic errors and appropriate investigations in cases of doubt are discussed. The mean time from admission to hospital to death was 8 hours. The reasons for not performing an elective operation in the 27 patients known to have AAA are given. Nine have subsequently died from rupture. There have been 7 deaths from other causes.