Aneurysm Outreach Inc. (AOI; http://www.alink.org) is a nonprofit volunteer organization founded in 1999 whose aim is to (a) raise public awareness about aneurysms; (b) stimulate and fund genetic research through donations; and (c) coordinate a support network for aneurysm patients and their families. Since abdominal ultrasonography examination of an asymptomatic ...

To search for novel transcriptional pathways that are activated in abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture, cDNA microarrays were used to compare global mRNA expression at the aneurysm rupture edge to anterior sac, and selected results were confirmed using quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR). This study identified apoptosis, angiogenesis, and inflammation as ...

BACKGROUND: We examined the genetic nature and phenotypic features of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) and dissections in a large cohort of patients. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 520 patients with TAAs and their pedigrees were compiled to identify family members with aneurysms. Study patients were divided into three groups: 101 ...

A 67-year-old man was admitted with a saccular aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Preoperative CT revealed cylindrical calcification of the abdominal aorta and the patent internal iliac arteries (IIAs). At the elective surgery, a cylinder-shaped and severely calcified intimal layer was found, and the lumbar arteries were totally occluded. Hypotension ...

Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an aortic aneurysm of unknown etiology characterized by a thickened aneurysmal wall, perianeurysmal and retroperitoneal fibrosis, and adhesions to adjacent organs. We encountered a case of inflammatory AAA, which developed from an ordinary atherosclerotic AAA over a period of 14 months, with a rapid ...

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic review to determine the incidence of postoperative incision hernia in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm compared to those with aortoiliac occlusive disease. METHODS: Studies which compared the incidence of postoperative incision hernia in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm and aortoiliac occlusive disease undergoing midline incision ...

OBJECTIVES: Mortality of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) is still very high. Various factors contribute to the patients' mortality. Some of them could be affected. Therefore, we evaluate the main factors of mortality of patients with RAAA who were operated on at our University Vascular Center. METHODS: Univariate and multivariate ...

Visceral artery aneurysms (VAA) represent 0.1-0.2% of all vascular aneurysms. For VAA's etiology, congenital or arteriosclerotic factors, media defects, infections, vasculitis and trauma are discussed. Ultrasound, CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging underline the diagnosis of VAA. The low perioperative morbidity and mortality and the excellent surgical longterm results justify ...

Infusion of angiotensin II (AngII) via subcutaneous osmotic pumps into mice promotes the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). These AngII-induced AAAs develop via a complex process in which there is a transmedial break, lumen dilation, thrombus formation, inflammation involving cells of both the innate and acquired immune systems, and ...

1. Motoneurons in the spinal cord are especially vulnerable to ischemic injury and selectively destroyed after transient ischemia. To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathophysiology of the spinal cord ischemia, the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the motoneurons of the lumbosacral spinal cord ...

Infected abdominal aortic aneurysms are uncommon but not rare (1-3% of all abdominal aortic aneurysms). This life-threatening disease can lead to rapid uncontrolled sepsis and/or aortic rupture. We report one case that underlines two notions. Firstly computed tomography is effective to detect early stages of the pathology providing complete depiction ...

Gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by a variety of pathologies. Primary aortoappendicular fistula is rare and, in our case, arose in addition to a chronic contained rupture sac of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Clinical diagnosis is difficult. Aortic aneurysmorrhaphy along with extensive debridement and emphasis on antibiotic therapy is curative.

We report a case of combined colon cancer and Clostridium septicum aortitis involving the suprarenal abdominal aorta with rupture. An 82-year-old male presented with fever, abdominal pain, and back pain associated with constipation. He was successfully treated by in situ aortic graft placement with polytetrafluroethylene and concomitant colon resection. Only ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the late results in adult patients who underwent surgery of the abdominal aorta as children. During a 17-year period, eight children underwent surgery for lesions of the abdominal aorta. There were 6 boys and 2 girls, with an average age of 10 ...

AIM: The purpose of this study was to estimate the results of surgical strategy for patients undergoing simultaneous coronary and peripheral artery surgical interventions and to compare their early and mid-term clinical results with the results of the isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operations. METHODS: From 1999 to 2005, ...

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To establish the utility of multidetector computed tomography (CT) angiography using dual-head power injector in the diagnosis of aortic diseases. METHODS: In a prospective study, 151 patients with aortic diseases were examined by four-detector CT. Scanning was performed using bolus tracking technique. In all patients nonionic contrast ...

We present a system for segmenting the human aortic aneurysm in CT angiograms (CTA), which, in turn, allows measurements of volume and morphological aspects useful for treatment planning. The system estimates a rough "initial surface," and then refines it using a level set segmentation scheme augmented with two external analyzers: ...

The objective of the Amsterdam Acute Aneurysm Trial is to study the combined outcome of conventional emergency surgery versus endovascular treatment for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. The design used was a multicenter randomized clinical trial conducted in two university hospitals and one teaching hospital in the Amsterdam region. The study ...

Already the major cause of mortality in the United States, cardio-vascular emergencies will become increasingly prevalent in the future as the geriatric population doubles. This article discusses five cardiovascular emergencies: acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure, dysrythmias, aortic dissection, and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The discussion focuses on the differences ...

Chronic transmural inflammation and proteolytic destruction of medial elastin are key mechanisms in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Diferuloylmethane (curcumin) is a major component of the food additive tumeric, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. To determine if ingestion of curcumin influences aneurysmal degeneration, C57Bl/6 mice ...

Horseshoe kidney is a rare congenital anomaly showing various degrees of fusion and accessory blood supply. Coexistence of horseshoe kidney and aortic aneurysm therefore presents a technical challenge to vascular surgeons. We report an 83-year-old woman with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with horseshoe kidney. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) ...

A five-year-old female domestic shorthair cat presented with clinical signs typical of an aortic saddle thromboembolism. An echocardiogram and thoracic radiographs excluded cardiac disease as a source of the thrombus. Two heavy metal opacity, pellet-like objects were seen in the thoracic and abdominal radiographs. Abdominal ultrasound demonstrated occlusion of aortic ...

Aortic aneurysms account for 10,000 deaths annually in the UK, due to rupture. At present the only effective therapeutic strategy to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms is to surgically repair them; this carries an elective mortality of up to 10%. Recent advances in vascular biology have led to a greater understanding ...

OBJECTIVE: To present our modification of the transperitoneal direct approach (TDA) for totally laparoscopic aortoiliac surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: From September 2003 to August 2005 a total of 52 patients underwent laparoscopic operations for aortoiliac disease (50 aortoiliac occlusive disease; two abdominal aortic aneurysm). The modified TDA was used in ...

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal pain is one of the most common conditions in childhood and adolescence. Celiac artery compression syndrome (CACS) is rarely suspected in this population. We present clinical and sonographic features from a series of 59 patients with this disorder. METHODS: A total of 3449 patients from 0 to 18 ...

Situs inversus totalis refers to a mirror-image reversal of the normal position of the internal organs. The recognition of concomitant anomalies, such as in the cardiac, venous, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems, is extremely important because these anomalies may disturb the surgical procedure for the concurrent disease in situs inversus totalis. ...

Abdominal aortic aneurysms often coexist with reduced lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These conditions are each associated with cigarette smoking, cardiovascular disease, and evidence of increased inflammatory and hemostatic activity. The aim of this study was to determine if these factors accounted for the link between aneurysms ...

Abdominal aortic endograft infection is a serious complication after an endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Pasteurella multocida, a gram-negative bacterium, is a commonly found organism in the mouth flora of many house pets. We report a case of an aortic endograft infection caused by P multocida after a rabbit bite. ...

OBJECTIVE: To establish, in a case-control study, the early mortality and long-term survival after surgical correction of sealed rupture abdominal aortic aneurysm, compared to controls who underwent standard, nonruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1992 to December 2002, 465 patients underwent infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. ...

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate predictors and outcomes of octogenarians who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1st, 1997 and April 15th, 2005, 31 octogenarians were admitted to our Department with the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Mean follow-up ...

Numerous variations of the ventral branches of the abdominal aorta were observed during routine dissection of the abdominal region in a 63-year-old male cadaver in the Department of Anatomy at Ege University Medicine Faculty. The branches of the celiac trunk were arising from two different trunks as the upper and ...

The clinical data presented in the given work are based on the treatment of 166 patients with complicated abdominal aortic aneurysms, operated on during 20 years, namely between 1984 and 2004. Of these, aneurysmal rupture was identified in 51 (30.7%) and the risk of rupture in 115 (69.2%) cases. Coexistent ...

PURPOSE: Aortic aneurysms have a high fatality rate that could be reduced with control of risk factors and use of available screening methods for detection of early changes in aortic walls. The available data on familial risks, a potential indication for screening, are mainly limited to abdominal aortic aneurysms. METHODS: ...

A 24-year-old pregnant woman with Marfan's syndrome delivered by cesarean section during the 38th week of gestation. Although aortic root dilatation did not increase during pregnancy, three months after delivery, the patient noticed a pulsatile abdominal mass. Aortic aneurysm was diagnosed and surgical replacement of the infrarenal abdominal aorta to ...

True pancreatico-duodenal artery aneurysm (PDAA) is a rare condition that since 1973 has been described in only 54 cases. It is frequently associated with celiac axis stenosis and often present with rupture. Even if most PDAAs that are not ruptured are asymptomatic and are diagnosed during investigation for other diseases, ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent studies on the immune-mediated pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms, opening a wide field for possible new therapeutic approaches. RECENT FINDINGS: Immune-mediated processes including involvement of neutrophils, interferon-gamma producing T cells and proinflammatory cytokines play an important role especially in the initiation of abdominal aortic ...

Infections due to nontyphoidal Salmonella are common and their incidence has been increasing in the last few years. Here, we describe a patient with a rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with a psoas abscess due to Salmonella typhimurium. Early diagnosis, prompt surgical intervention, and active and prolonged antibiotic therapy ...

Primary tumors of the aorta are extremely rare and the diagnosis is made most often after surgery or autopsy. Because clinical symptoms of abdominal sarcoma are similar to those of occlusive or aneurysmal disease, aortic sarcomas are frequently mistaken for these lesions. The imaging findings are frequently nonspecific and therefore ...

Abdominal aortic hypoplasia is a rare vascular variant with possible major clinical sequelae when the renal arteries are also involved. The condition is thought to result from embryonic overfusion of the two dorsal aortas. The diagnosis may be considered in patients presenting with hypertension in the neonatal period and severely ...

The phenomenon of antegrade (distal) endograft migration is an extensively documented complication after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. This case report describes the finding of postoperative abdominal aortic aneurysm endograft retrograde (proximal) migration occluding bilateral renal arteries and leading to dialysis-dependent renal failure.

We present the case of a giant aneurysm and dissection of the abdominal aorta in an eight month old infant. Imaging studies especially a helicoid computerized axial tomography with 3D reconstruction, showed a lesion which extended from the diaphragm to the iliac arteries. The clinical findings and the above mentioned ...

Ring down artefacts are sometimes found when emergency physicians perform abdominal ultrasound to differentiate between various abdominal problems. We describe a patient who presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain and whose ultrasound examination showed ring down artefacts posterior to the right hemidiaphragm, which led to the eventual diagnosis of ...

The authors investigated the effect of abdominal liposuction performed by superficial subdermal liposuction technique on inferior epigastric perforators. We aimed to determine whether previous liposuction is a contraindication to the use of an abdominal flap. The perforators in the abdominal region in 6 patients were marked preoperatively by color and ...

Chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a well-known complication of aortic aneurysm. A 63-year-old man with bleeding tendency and a large palpable abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was diagnosed as having fibrinolysis dominant DIC by the excessive activation of both coagulation and fibrinolysis (plasmin -alpha2 plasmin inhibitor complex concentration is usually ...

An 82 year-old woman suddenly developed severe back pain. Enhanced computed tomography and aortography revealed penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU), that was a localized contrast-filled outpouching in the juxtarenal abdominal aorta and intramural hematoma within the aortic wall. Coronary angiography revealed significant stenosis in the left anterior descending artery and right ...

The coeliac trunk is a surgically significant artery originating from the abdominal aorta and supplying the supracolic organs. Branches of this arterial trunk supply the primary organs of the abdomen and divert a significant volume of blood from the abdominal aorta. Past research has shown that the anatomy of the ...

BACKGROUND: Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm has been shown to reduce aneurysm-related mortality, but the applicability of the results to the whole of the UK has been questioned. This study examined screening in a remote and rural area. METHODS: Over 3 years, men aged 65-74 years were offered screening in ...

Symptomatic visceral aneurysms usually present with abdominal pain and shock, gastrointestinal bleeding, or hemobilia when the aneurysm ruptures. Less frequently, visceral aneurysms are found incidentally during abdominal computed tomography or angiography. Thrombosis is a frequent complication of popliteal and femoral aneurysms but is rarely seen with a visceral aneurysm. The ...

A 68-year-old man with ischemic heart disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and rectal cancer was referred. Coronary angiography indicated triple-vessel disease with jeopardized collaterals, and dipyridamole myocardial scintigraphy disclosed no viability in the inferior, posterior, and lateral walls. Abdominal computed tomography scanning revealed an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm, 65 mm in ...

A 2-year-old male castrated Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was presented with paraplegia, cold caudal extremities and lack of femoral pulses. A 2cm long thrombus occluding the aortic trifurcation and a 3cm long abdominal aortic aneurysm with a thrombus were detected by ultrasonographic examination. The clinical and ultrasonographic findings were consistent ...