Unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms are most often detected during imaging tests, such as X-rays, ordered for other medical conditions. If a healthcare provider suspects you have an aneurysm based on tests or for other reasons, a variety of diagnostic tools may be used to confirm a diagnosis.
During your first office visit, your provider will spend time with you and learn more about your symptoms and overall health. They will:
- Conduct a physical exam
- Discuss your medical history and your current medical conditions
- Listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope
- Check your blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen level
A duplex ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of your blood vessels. It combines traditional ultrasound for structure with a Doppler technique that shows blood flow. This allows doctors to assess blood flow speed and direction to diagnose blockages, narrowing or abnormal flow patterns. During the test, you’ll lie on a table. The technologist will place a gel over the tissues being examined and then move a transducer wand over the area. Sound waves from the wand bounce off the tissues and back to a computer, which interprets the waves to create images. The test is painless.
A CT angiogram, also called a CTA, is an imaging test that uses a CT scan and contrast dye to create detailed pictures of your blood vessels. This helps doctors see blockages, aneurysms or other problems inside arteries and veins throughout your body. During this test, you will lie on a table and an IV will be placed in your hand or arm. Contrast dye will be injected into the IV, and you will have painless electrodes attached to your chest. This will allow your medical team to monitor your heart rate and rhythm. The table slides into the CT machine, which takes a series of images from various angles. The procedure usually takes less than an hour.
An MR angiogram, also known as magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), is a type of imaging test that uses strong magnets and radio waves to create detailed pictures of your blood vessels. Because it’s performed without the use of a catheter, an MRA is less painful and less invasive. MRA can help diagnose aneurysms, arterial stenosis and vascular malformations. During an MR angiogram, you lie on a table that slides into an MRI machine. You will remain still while the MRI is performed, which can take an hour or more. In some cases, you will have contrast dye injected into your blood vessels through an IV to make them easier to visualize during the test.
An echocardiogram (echo) uses ultrasound technology, or sound waves, to capture an image of your heart’s structure.
During the echocardiogram, your technologist will place a wand on the skin of your chest above your heart. Sound waves from the wand bounce off your heart, creating an image of your heart’s chambers and valves.
An echocardiogram is an outpatient test that takes less than an hour. You can return home as soon as the test is completed.
A vascular ultrasound is an imaging study that uses sound waves to create images of your blood vessels. This painless test helps doctors examine the arteries and veins and see blood flow patterns. During the test, you lie on a table and a gel is applied to your skin by a technologist. The technologist then presses a transducer wand on your skin, and the sound waves bounce off the areas being examined and are converted into images by a computer. A vascular ultrasound generally takes less than 45 minutes. It evaluates for abnormal blood flow, blockages and narrowing in the blood vessels that could indicate vascular disease.
Abdominal ultrasound can be useful for confirming a suspected aortic aneurysm and is also an effective screening tool.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men who are between ages 65 and 75 and who have smoked receive a one-time abdominal ultrasound to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysm.
