| Author: | Wong, Man-bong |
| Title: | A comparison of using aortic cross-sectional area and maximum diameter in computed tomographic assessment of the growth of abdominal aortic aneurysm |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Abdomen -- Tomography. Abdominal aneurysm -- Diagnosis |
| Department: | Department of Health Technology and Informatics |
| Pages: | vii, 77 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can be fatal. Patients with AAA are commonly monitored by serial computed tomography (CT) examinations to evaluate the growth of the aneurysm, and to assess the risk of rupture. While the maximum diameter of AAA is usually used for the assessment, it has been criticized that this specific indicator may not be accurate enough to monitor the growth of aneurysm. The objective of the present study is to investigate whether other parameters such as the cross-sectional area of aneurysm can better assess the growth of aneurysm than the conventional method. A total of 193 abdominal CT examinations from 75 patients with AAA were reviewed. All patients had at least two CT examinations. In each CT examination, both the maximum diameter and cross-sectional area of the most dilated region of the aorta were measured. The maximum diameter and cross-sectional area were compared with their respective measurements in the next follow up examination. The rates of the maximum diameter and cross-sectional area growth in terms of percentage change were calculated by the equation: (M2- M1) / M1 x 100%, where M1 and M2 were the consecutive CT scans of the same patient. Results showed that the rate of cross-sectional area growth was 19.63% ± 21.49% (mean ± SD), p<0.05 whilst the rate of maximum diameter growth was 9.4% ± 9.35% (mean ± SD), p<0.05. Results suggested that the actual growth of abdominal aortic aneurysm may be underestimated using the conventional method of measurements. The present study recommend that the use of cross-sectional area instead of maximum diameter to assess the growth of AAA in order to have better monitoring of aneurysm growth. Using the cross-sectional area of the aneurysm in assessing the growth of AAA, the follow up frequency for patients with small AAA may need to be reviewed so that timely clinical management can be given to patients who are at risk of AAA rupture. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
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| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b23526853.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.51 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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