Aneurysms and Dissections |Practise Questions
1. what is an aneurysm?: dilation of a BV or the heart
2. what is a true aneurysm?: involves all 3 arterial wall layers
3. what is a false aneurysm?: extravascular & pulsatile
4. what causes aneurysms?: MC atherosclerosis and HTN -> wall thinning smoking
increases prevalance 3-5 fold
5. how are AAAs differentiated?: by relationship to renal arteries- suprarenal, pararenal,
juxtarenal, infrarenal
6. what are RF for AAA?: SMOKING male
old
white
atherosclerosis fam
hx
other aneurysm
CT disorder (marfan)
prior hx of aortic dissection or aortic surgery
7. how do AAA present?: MC asx- found as result of screening/imaging, or found on PE
8. how do symptomatic AAA present?: back, abdominal, or flank pain
9. how does AAA appear on exam?: pulsatile mass if >5.5 cm ecchymosis
(cullen or grey-turner sign)
unequal or weak pulses in carotid or radial arteries
10.what is cullens sign?: periumbilical ecchymosis
11.what is grey turner sign?: flank ecchymosis
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, Aneurysms and Dissections |Practise Questions
12.what do labs show for AAA?: anemia & metabolic acidosis - acute blood loss, shock
elevated WBC- infection or inflammation coag
studies often normal
13.what testing should be done to diagnose AAA?: abdominal US- initial imag- ing study of
choice
CT scan- abdomen
Angiography- gold standard
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5
1. what is an aneurysm?: dilation of a BV or the heart
2. what is a true aneurysm?: involves all 3 arterial wall layers
3. what is a false aneurysm?: extravascular & pulsatile
4. what causes aneurysms?: MC atherosclerosis and HTN -> wall thinning smoking
increases prevalance 3-5 fold
5. how are AAAs differentiated?: by relationship to renal arteries- suprarenal, pararenal,
juxtarenal, infrarenal
6. what are RF for AAA?: SMOKING male
old
white
atherosclerosis fam
hx
other aneurysm
CT disorder (marfan)
prior hx of aortic dissection or aortic surgery
7. how do AAA present?: MC asx- found as result of screening/imaging, or found on PE
8. how do symptomatic AAA present?: back, abdominal, or flank pain
9. how does AAA appear on exam?: pulsatile mass if >5.5 cm ecchymosis
(cullen or grey-turner sign)
unequal or weak pulses in carotid or radial arteries
10.what is cullens sign?: periumbilical ecchymosis
11.what is grey turner sign?: flank ecchymosis
1/
5
, Aneurysms and Dissections |Practise Questions
12.what do labs show for AAA?: anemia & metabolic acidosis - acute blood loss, shock
elevated WBC- infection or inflammation coag
studies often normal
13.what testing should be done to diagnose AAA?: abdominal US- initial imag- ing study of
choice
CT scan- abdomen
Angiography- gold standard
2/
5
