title: Incidental abdominal aneurysms: a retrospective study of 13,115 patients who underwent a computed tomography scan.
abstract: We evaluated the frequency and outcomes of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in Qatar. Data were collected retrospectively between 2004 and 2008 for all adult patients who underwent abdominal computed tomographic scanning for any reason. Patients with AAA were followed up for 3 years for aneurysmal rupture and mortality. Of the 13,115 patients screened, 61 (0.5%) patients had abdominal aneurysms. Most (82%) patients with AAA were male with mean age of 67 ± 12 years. The incidence of AAA substantially increased with age. Cardiovascular risk factors were prevalent among patients with AAA. The main location of AAA was infrarenal (67%), followed by thoracoabdominal (23%). The mean AAA diameter was 5.3 ± 2.5 cm. The rate of AAA rupture was 8% with a mortality rate of 60%; 80% of these were infrarenal, and 80% of them had a diameter of ≥5.5 cm. Overall mortality was 33%. This large study addressed the impact of screening for AAA in a population with high cardiovascular burden.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Vascular Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Thani
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Menyar
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shabana
authors.forename: Abdelhakem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabeb
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Sulaiti
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almalki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011780:Qatar / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Qatar; abdominal aorta; aneurysm; mortality; rupture