A pitfall in echographic diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm: when para-aortic lymph nodes are the trick

Abstract

The abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially fatal asymptomatic disease. They progress silently with clinical complications that, when they occur, constitute a very serious event, frequently resulting in the patient's exitus. As a result, early detection and treatment are critical, because the right therapeutic strategy can halt the disease's natural progression. AAA is frequently discovered as an incidental finding during an abdominal ultrasound or a plain X-ray of the abdomen, which is required for other pathologies. The primary diagnostic tool for AAA identification is abdominal B-mode ultrasound. It is cheap, widely available, non-invasive, and has a high diagnostic sensitivity. However, this diagnostic tool may fail in rare cases due to misleading anatomical findings. We present an unusual flaw in echographic AAA evaluation that should be considered during the diagnostic work-up.