COEXISTENCE OF ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSM IN PATIENTS WITH CAROTID STENOSIS

Background and Purpose The study was designed to assess the incidence of coexistent abdominal aortic disease in patients with known carotid artery stenosis.Methods Abdominal ultrasound and physical examination of the abdomen were performed in 89 consecutive patients referred to t his tertiary medical center for evaluation of both symptomatic and asy mptomatic carotid artery disease. The frequency of abdominal aortic an eurysm detected in this population was compared with that incidentally found in age- and sex-matched patients undergoing abdominal ultrasoun d for nonvascular reasons. Results Eighteen aortic aneurysms were dete cted by ultrasound in 89 patients with carotid stenosis, compared with three aneurysms in 89 matched patients (P<.01, corrected chi(2)). Twe lve of the 18 patients with aneurysm had an abnormal abdominal physica l examination. Conclusions Aortic aneurysm occurs with high frequency in patients with carotid stenosis. Physicians should perform careful a bdominal examination on these patients and consider routine abdominal ultrasonic screening.