AAA diagnositic imaging

[placebo_B12]

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What is the sensitivity of a non-contrast enhanced CT of the abdo/pelvis looking for AAA?

I find that many elderly patients with vague abdominal pain/back pain have elevated GFR's and are not candidates to receive IV contrast. I end up ordering Non-contrast CT's for these patients to r/o AAA in addition to other surgical diagnoses. Is this adequate?

 

[sponch]

What is the sensitivity of a non-contrast enhanced CT of the abdo/pelvis looking for AAA?

I find that many elderly patients with vague abdominal pain/back pain have elevated GFR's and are not candidates to receive IV contrast. I end up ordering Non-contrast CT's for these patients to r/o AAA in addition to other surgical diagnoses. Is this adequate?

um why not just do an abd ultrasound if you're just looking to answer an yes/no question about the size of their abdominal aorta? it's cheaper and there's less radiation.

 

[placebo_B12]

As you know, elderly patients who present with vague abdominal pain have a high incidence of surgical pathology.

In certain limited cases an US is okay to answer an isolated question for AAA... but more frequently, the differential for abdominal pain/back pain in patients >50 is much larger, and requires CT imaging anyways... an US just won't cut it.