Study Evaluates Growth Patterns of AAA Diameter With Serial CT Surveillance

February 17, 2021—The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM-SOM) in Baltimore, Maryland, announced the publication of a study that suggests that small (< 5 cm) abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) tend to grow slowly and steadily over time. Therefore, doctors can safely monitor their growth and perform surgery only when an aneurysm grows large enough to burst.

The investigators evaluated growth patterns of AAA diameter with serial CT surveillance. In the study, annual CT scans were conducted in 254 patients with small AAAs. It was found that the vast majority had predictable yearly growth rates without any sudden increase in growth that made them life-threatening.

The findings were published by Sydney L. Olson, BS, et al in Journal of the American Medical Association: Surgery. Jon S. Matsumura, MD, is the senior investigator of the study.

According to UM-SOM, the new finding could change the way doctors manage AAAs, which are common in patients age > 65 years. The study provides strong evidence that regular monitoring with imaging scans can be safely used for small growths and can spare patients from unnecessary surgery.

The UM-SOM press release noted that the study did not include enough women (who are less likely to have AAA) to draw firm conclusions or recommendations. The investigators are currently conducting further analyses on the women’s data to address plans for their care that may differ from men’s care, noted the UM-SOM.

“This finding should change the way vascular surgeons manage small AAAs,” commented study coinvestigator Michael Terrin, MD, who is Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the UM-SOM in Baltimore. “Men with the smallest, stable aneurysms can be followed with a CT scan every 2 years, with little risk that they will require emergency surgery in the interim. This can help them avoid unnecessary surgery and the risks associated with any surgical procedure.”