Evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysm after endoluminal treatment: comparison of color Doppler sonography with biphasic helical CT.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to compare color Doppler sonography with biphasic helical CT in the evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysms after endovascular repair.


METHODS
Fifty-five patients prospectively underwent both color Doppler sonography and helical CT within 7 days after treatment by endovascular stent-graft. Aneurysmal thrombosis, the patency of the grafts, and the presence of a leak were evaluated in all patients. When a perigraft leak was observed, an attempt was made to identify its origin and outflow vessels. Helical CT was considered the gold standard technique.


RESULTS
Helical CT revealed aneurysmal thrombosis in 33 patients and a perigraft leak in 22 patients. In five patients, helical CT detected a small perigraft leak not shown by color Doppler sonography. In three patients with suboptimal examinations, color Doppler sonography revealed a suspected perigraft leak that was not confirmed by helical CT. In these eight patients, the perigraft leak was sealed or no longer observed during follow-up. Compared with enhanced helical CT, the sensitivity and specificity of color Doppler sonography for the diagnosis of a perigraft leak were 77% and 90%, respectively. In seven other patients, helical CT was superior to color Doppler sonography in detecting the origin of the perigraft leak and the outflow vessels. Two iliac artery dissections and one distal migration of the prosthesis were revealed only by helical CT.


CONCLUSIONS
Although color Doppler sonography may detect substantial perigraft leaks, helical CT is superior for detecting the origin of the perigraft leak, the outflow vessels, and the detection of complications related to the procedure.
Golzarian
Jafar
J
Department of Radiology, Erasme Hospital, University of Brussels, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
Murgo
Salvatore
S
Dussaussois
Luc
L
Guyot
Sophie
S
Said
Kamel Ait
KA
Wautrecht
Jean Claude
JC
Struyven
Julien
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color