Abdominal aortic aneurysms occur when large blood vessels supplying blood to the stomach, legs and pelvis get too big or balloon outward. Symptoms include a rapid heart rate, clammy skin, nausea, vomiting and pain in the back or stomach. Diagnosis is through exam or diagnostic test.
Diagnosis
Your doctor may discover an abdominal aortic aneurysm during a routine exam, or while using a variety of imaging tools to check other conditions.
CT Scan
Abdominal aortic aneurysm can be diagnosed through a computerized tomography (CT) scan. The patient lies flat inside a machine that makes detailed x-rays of organs and blood vessels in the body.
MRI
Diagnosis of abdominal aneurysm can be done with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dyes are injected into the body and the MRI scans the entire body using magnetic fields.
Ultrasonography
Ultrasonography involves the doctor holding a device called a transducer over your abdomen. The device produces sound waves which bounce off blood vessels to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
X-Rays
Chest x-rays are used to detect abdominal aortic aneurysms. Sometimes patients without symptoms will have a chest x-ray for another medical reason and discover an aneurysm.
Tags: abdominal aortic, aortic aneurysm, blood vessels, Abdominal aortic, abdominal aortic aneurysm