title: Clinical utility of transthoracic echocardiography for screening abdominal aortic aneurysm: a prospective study in a Japanese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical utility of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for screening abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and to identify important TTE indices associated with AAA in a Japanese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied 1912 patients who were referred for TTE. AAA was defined as ≥ 30 mm in size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The abdominal aorta was visualized in 95.1% (1818/1912) by TTE. AAA was identified in 2.6% (47/1818). The aortic root size was significantly larger in patients with AAA than those without (36.0 ± 4.1 vs. 31.7 ± 4.2 mm, p < 0.001). The aortic root size had a fair correlation with abdominal aortic size (r = 0.31, p < 0.001). The aortic root size of ≥ 34 mm was predictive of AAA by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve = 0.78, p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that aortic root size (Hazard ratio 1.23, p < 0.001) and age (Hazard ratio 1.05, p = 0.013) were the independent predictors of AAA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The feasibility of the abdominal aortic visualization during TTE was excellent. The aortic root size measured by TTE was the independent predictor of AAA. Screening for AAA during TTE appeared to be useful especially in the older patients with a large (≥34 mm) aortic root.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Oko-cho, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan. matsumur@kochi-u.ac.jp.
authors: Yoshihisa
authors: Y
authors: Matsumura
authors: Clinical Laboratory, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
authors: Michiko
authors: M
authors: Wada
authors: Clinical Laboratory, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
authors: Daigo
authors: D
authors: Hirakawa
authors: Clinical Laboratory, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
authors: Yuka
authors: Y
authors: Yasuoka
authors: Clinical Laboratory, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
authors: Norihito
authors: N
authors: Morimoto
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Oko-cho, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Takeuchi
authors: Department of Cardiology, Neurology, and Aging Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Kitaoka
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
authors: Kazumasa
authors: K
authors: Orihashi
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Oko-cho, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
authors: Tetsuro
authors: T
authors: Sugiura
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution