DETECTION OF ASYMPTOMATIC ABDOMINAL AORTI C-ANEURYSM IN CORONARY-DISEASE PATIENTS HAVING UNDERGONE CORONAROGRAPHY

Detection of asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAAA) was studied in 780 patients whose coronary disease had been evolving for less tha n 2 years, who had undergone coronography within the framework of the French ALAC Survey (Autres Localisations de l'Atherosclerose chez le C oronarien - other locations of atherosclerosis in coronary disease) an d had an interpretable abdominal aortic echography. Clinical and echog raphic research detected 19 AAAA cases in 15 men and 4 women aged 53 t o 77 years having at coronography at least one stenosis greater than o r equal to 70 % on one of the 3 coronary trunks or greater than or equ al to 50 % on the commun trunk. Among the 577 coronary disease patient s with at least one significant stenosis, the prevalence of AAAA was 3 ,3 %. Seventeen aneurysms were missed at abdominal palpation. A sub-gr oup of 458 patients aged 50 to 79 years had signifiant coronary stenos is without history of aortic surgery. There was no significant differe nce between the 19 AAAA cases and the 439 cases of coronary disease wi thout aortic aneurysm, as regards risk factors, especially age, high b lood pressure and tobacco consumption. On the other hand, the 19 AAAA cases had more diffused and more severe atherosclerotic lesions in the lower limbs and carotid arteries. Abdominal echography is essential f or the detection of AAAA in patients with coronary disease.