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Diagnosing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Posted: Feb. 1, 2007
An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or “ballooning” in the wall of an artery. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body. An aneurysm that grows and becomes large enough can burst, causing dangerous, often fatal, bleeding inside the body. An aneurysm that occurs in the aorta in the abdomen is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
How is it diagnosed?
An aneurysm may be found by chance during a routine physical exam. More often, an aneurysm is found by chance during an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan performed for another reason, such as abdominal pain.
If you have an AAA, the doctor may feel a pulsating mass in your abdomen. A rapidly growing aneurysm about to rupture can be tender and very painful when pressed. If you are overweight or obese, it may be difficult for your doctor to feel even a large abdominal aneurysm.
Also if you have an AAA, your doctor may hear rushing blood flow instead of the normal whooshing sound when listening to your abdomen with a stethoscope.
Symptoms
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms develop slowly over years and have no signs or symptoms until (or if) they rupture. Sometimes, a doctor can feel a pulsating mass while examining a patient’s abdomen. When symptoms are present, they can include:
- Deep penetrating pain in your back or the side of your abdomen
- Steady gnawing pain in your abdomen that lasts for hours or days at a time
- Coldness, numbness, or tingling in your feet due to blocked blood flow in your legs
If an AAA ruptures, symptoms can include sudden, severe pain in your lower abdomen and back; nausea and vomiting; clammy, sweaty skin; lightheadedness; and a rapid heart rate when standing up. Internal bleeding from a ruptured AAA can send you into shock. Shock is a life-threatening condition in which the organs of the body do not get enough blood flow.
Because aneurysms can develop and become large before causing any symptoms, it is important to look for them in people who are at the highest risk. Experts recommend that men who are 65 to 75 years old and have ever smoked (at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) should be checked for AAAs.
When found in time, aneurysms can usually be treated successfully with medicines or surgery.
Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
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