Ultrasonic scanning can provide diagnostic information about aneurysms of the abdominal aorta comparable to that obtained by aortography, says a radiologist at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia.
Aortography is often done to confirm a clinical diagnosis of aneurysm since the primary clinical sign, a pulsatile mass, may be due to causes other than an aneurysm.
In a comparative study, ultrasonic angiography proved equally reliable as a diagnostic aid. There was excellent correlation between measurements obtained by aortography and those obtained by ultrasonic technique in tests on ten normal persons and 12 patients with aneurysms, Bernard J. Ostrum, MD, told a symposium on vascular diseases sponsored by the Medical Center.
Ultrasonic angiography also provided information about the thickness of the aortic wall that was not apparent by aortography. In a 74-year-old male, for example, ultrasonic scanning not only demonstrated an aneurysm that could not be palpated, but suggested that there was