This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0003319708319940v1 59/6/736    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by McPhail, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by McPhail, I. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Aortic Aneurysm Muscle Disorders Peripheral Arterial Disease Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Diastasis Recti

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, mcphail.ian{at}mayo.edu

Midline abdominal incisional hernias are common following open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms. These may be caused by the weakness of connective tissue. This study sought to determine the prevalence of diastasis recti among unoperated Caucasian males with abdominal aortic aneurysm compared to a control group with atherosclerotic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. Forty-two consecutive white males referred for evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (n = 18) or peripheral arterial disease (n = 24) were examined by a single examiner at the Mayo Clinic. Both groups were similar in terms of age and smoking history, 2 major risk factors for both abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral arterial disease. Abdominal aortic aneurysm patients ranged in age from 59 to 89 (mean, 73.2) years. Seventeen of 18 (94.4%) had a history of smoking. Peripheral arterial disease patients ranged in age from 52 to 93 (mean, 70.8) years. Twenty-one of 24 (87.5%) had a history of smoking. Diastasis recti were present in 12 of 18 (66.7%) subjects with abdominal aortic aneurysm versus 4 of 24 (16.7%) subjects with peripheral arterial disease (P = .001, 2-tailed Fisher exact test). Diastasis recti are significantly more common in males with abdominal aortic aneurysm than peripheral arterial disease and may provide an important clue to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysm in those at risk.

Key Words: abdominal aortic aneurysm • diastasis recti • peripheral arterial disease

This version was published on January 1, 2009

Angiology, Vol. 59, No. 6, 736-739 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0003319708319940


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?