INFLUENCE OF SCREENING ON THE INCIDENCE OF RUPTURED ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSM - 5-YEAR RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-STUDY

From family medical practices 15775 men and women aged 65-80 years wer e identified and randomized into two groups: one was invited for ultra sonographic screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and the oth er acted as age- and sex-matched controls. Of the 7887 invited for scr eening 5394 (68.4 per cent) accepted. AAA was detected in 218 (4.0 per cent overall and 7.6 per cent of men). Aortic surgery was offered to the screened group if certain criteria were met and no patient died fr om rupture who was fit for operation and accepted elective treatment. The incidence of rupture was reduced by 55 per cent in men in the grou p invited for screening, compared with controls. The incidence of rupt ure in women was low in both groups.