A retrospective cohort study of incidental abdominal aortic aneurysms on routine abdominal computed tomography scans in Te Tairāwhiti (2018–2019)

Abstract

aim: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is associated with a high mortality rate which is especially significant in rural and provincial regions. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori experience higher rates of AAA and worse overall medium-term survival following AAA repair. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of incidental AAA on routine abdominal CT scans over 12 months. method: A retrospective review of all abdominal CT scans performed on patients ≥50 years at Gisborne Hospital between 1 December 2018–1 December 2019 was performed. results: A total of 811 scans were reviewed, with 42 incidental AAA detected (5.2%). The majority of incidental AAA were in males aged ≥65 (65.8%), with a higher prevalence for Māori compared to New Zealand European (NZE) (16.2% vs 8.1%, p=0.052). This pattern was also seen in females, aged ≥65 (10.9% in Māori vs 3.8% in NZE, p=0.047). conclusion: The detection of AAA on routine abdominal CT scans appears to be a useful adjunct in lieu of targeted AAA screening in our region. A high prevalence of incidental AAA (5.2%) over 12 months, with a significantly higher prevalence noted in Māori males and females ≥65 years (16.2% and 10.9%) was observed.