Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in the Huntingdon district: a 10-year experience

A study was undertaken to establish the true incidence of ruptured abdomina l aortic aneurysms (RAAA) in the Huntingdon district. RAAAs in the Huntingdon district between 1986 and 1995 were studied retrosp ectively. Data were collected from hospital records and hospital and commun ity autopsies. There was a total of 139 cases of RAAA; 119 were males and 20 females, givi ng a M:F ratio of 6:1. The incidence of RAAAs was 17.8/100 000 person years (py) in males and 3.0/100 000 py in females. Mean age at rupture was 75.5 years in men (95% confidence intervals (CI) 74-78 years) and 80.2 in women (95% CI 78.8-83 years). There was an age-specific increase in incidence aft er the age of 65 years in men and after 80 years in women, although 12.6% o f all RAAAs occurred in men under 65 years. In all, 110 patients were confirmed to have died of RAAA during the 10-year period. This represents 79% of all ruptures discovered. Almost three-quart ers of patients did not reach the operating theatre. Of the 61 patients ope rated on, 29 survived (48%). The size of the aneurysm at rupture was recorded in 68 cases (49%). The mea n size was 8.14 cm (SD 2.0 cm). In five cases (7.4%), rupture occurred in A AAs smaller than 6 cm. The overall mortality from RAAA in Huntingdon health district is approximat ely 80% and three-quarters of all deaths occurred without an operation.