title: Abdominal aortic aneurysms and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
abstract: Although cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm have been repeatedly reported in the literature, no systematic studies of the aortas of these patients have been performed. In the study presented here, a sonographic study of the abdominal aorta in 139 ADPKD patients and in 149 healthy family members was carried out. For both groups, an increase in aortic diameter related to age and sex, (being wider in men than women) was found. In ADPKD patients, neither a wider aortic diameter nor a higher prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms could be found in any age group. It was concluded that, although these patients are prone to develop aortic aneurysms because of hypertension and associated connective tissue disorders, the presence of abdominal aortic aneurysms should be questioned as a frequent feature of ADPKD.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Service, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicolau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Badenas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brú
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Estivill
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darnell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016891:Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors