Background: Currently, the impact of abdominal aortic aneurysm may be changing despite the aging population, but may be ambiguous given the decline in smoking, the use of screening methods, and integration of non-surgical treatment. Objective: This review aimed to assess the most common currently used non-invasive methods to identify abdominal aortic aneurysm, namely ultrasound and computed tomography. Methods: PRISMA guidelines were utilized to retrieve original articles from the past five years. All retrospective and prospective studies/trials were included, but limited to US and CT abdominal aortic aneurysm diagnostic imaging methods. Qualitative assessment of study quality is described. Results: Three of the six studies reported abdominal aortic aneurysm screening data. The estimated prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm for the three studies ranged from 4.5% to 6.2%. CT had slightly higher sensitivity and US had higher specificity for abdominal aortic aneurysm diagnosis. Two of the described studies assessed technical issues and problems with contemporary imaging of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The final article described measuring abdominal aortic aneurysm function of aortic distensibility and its pulse wave velocity for a comprehensive assessment of the abdominal aortic aneurysm via standard CT imaging. Conclusions: Both US and CT are useful diagnostic imaging modalities for abdominal aortic aneurysm, but remain with unique pitfalls and propensity for errors, notwithstanding patient-related errors. Technical issues in imaging with both ultrasound and CT are not straightforward. The potential value of an integrated CT protocol with CT-US fusion and/or assessment of aortic function rather than solely aortic anatomy may further diminish diagnostic complexities.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.