Appearance of femoropopliteal segment aneurysms in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE

To promote better treatment outcome, as well as economic benefit it is very important to find out patients with simultaneous occurrence of both aortic and arterial aneurysms. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the frequency and factors affecting femoropopliteal (F-P) segment aneurysms appearance in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).

METHODS

This study included 70 patients who had underwent elective or urgent surgery of AAA from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. After ultrasonographic examination of F-P segment, all the patients were divided into two groups--those with adjunctive F-P segment aneurysm (n = 20) and the group of 50 patients witho no adjunctive F-P segment aneurysm. In both groups demographic characteristics (gender, age), risk factors (diabetes mellitus, elevated serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, arterial hypertension, smoking, obesity) and cardiovascular comorbidity (cerebrovascular desease, ischemic heart desease) were investigated.

RESULTS

Twenty (28.57%) patients who had been operated on because of AAA, had adjunctive aneurysmal desease of F-P segment. Diabetes was no statistically significantly more present among the patients who, beside AAA, had adjunctive aneurismal desease of F-P segment (chi2 = 0.04; DF = 1; p > 0.05). Also, in both groups there was no statistically significant difference in gender structure (chi2 = 2.05; DF = 2; p > 0.05), age (chi2 = 5.46; DF = 1; p > 0.05), total cholesterol level (chi2 = 0.89; DF = 1; p > 0.05) and triglyceride (chi2 = 0.89; DF = 1; p > 0.05) levels, the presence of arterial hypertension (chi2 = 1.38; DF = 2; p > 0.05), smoking (chi2 = 1.74; DF = 1; p > 0.05), obesity (chi2 = 1.76; DF = 1; p > 0.05) and presence of cerebrovascular desease (chi2 = 2.34; DF = 1; p > 0.05). Conversly, ischemic heart desease was statistically significantly more present among the patients who, beside AAA, had adjunctive aneurismal desease of F-P segment (chi2 = 5.45; DF = 1; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Twenty patients, beside AAA, had adjunctive F-P segment aneurysm. The results of this study suggest the necessity of preforming ultrasonographic examination of F-P segment in all patients with proven AAA.