Background and purpose: The study was designed to assess the incidence of coexistent abdominal aortic disease in patients with known carotid artery stenosis.
Methods: Abdominal ultrasound and physical examination of the abdomen were performed in 89 consecutive patients referred to this tertiary medical center for evaluation of both symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery disease. The frequency of abdominal aortic aneurysm detected in this population was compared with that incidentally found in age- and sex-matched patients undergoing abdominal ultrasound for nonvascular reasons.
Results: Eighteen aortic aneurysms were detected by ultrasound in 89 patients with carotid stenosis, compared with three aneurysms in 89 matched patients (P < .01, corrected chi 2). Twelve of the 18 patients with aneurysm had an abnormal abdominal physical examination.
Conclusions: Aortic aneurysm occurs with high frequency in patients with carotid stenosis. Physicians should perform careful abdominal examination on these patients and consider routine abdominal ultrasonic screening.