The value of computed tomography and ultrasound in cases of inflammatory aneurysms of the abdominal aorta

In a retrospective study 344 CT examinations of patients with suspected aneurysms of the abdominal aorta were evaluated with respect to the inflammatory character of the aneurysm. In 207 cases surgical therapy was conducted. In 144 of those 207 cases preoperative ultrasound examination results were also available. Frequency of inflammatory aneurysms, as classified by CT, was 10.2% (35/344) and in the subgroup of surgically treated aneurysms, 14.0% (29/207). Sensitivity and specifity of CT to realise the inflammatory type of aneurysm was 86.2% and 97.2%. The respective figures for ultrasound examinations on the basis of 144 surgically treated aneurysms were 26.1% and 100%. We conclude that even in cases of sonographically unequivocal abdominal aneurysms CT should be performed because ultrasound is not sufficiently sensitive to realise an inflammatory character of the aneurysm, which can have great impact on surgical strategy.