Ultrasound Imaging of the Abdominal Aorta: A Comprehensive Review

Bahaa Fadel (1) , Dania Mohty (2) , Brigitte Kazzi (3) , Bandar Alamro (1) , Fatima Arshi , Manal Mustafa , Najmeddine Echahidi (2) , Victor Aboyans (4, 2)

1 Public Health Directorate, Saudi Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2 Service de cardiologie [CHU Limoges]
3 Johns Hopkins Hospital
4 NET - Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale

Ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice for the initial evaluation of disorders that involve the abdominal aorta (AA). The diagnostic value of ultrasound resides in its ability to allow assessment of the anatomy and structure of the AA using two- dimensional, three-dimensional, and contrast-enhanced imaging. Moreover, ultrasound permits evaluation of the physiologic and hemodynamic consequences of abnormalities through Doppler interrogation of blood flow, thus enabling the identification and quantification of disorders within the AA and beyond its boundaries. The approach to ultrasound imaging of the AA varies, depending on the purpose of the study and whether it is performed in a radiology or vascular laboratory or in an echocardiography laboratory. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the usefulness of ultrasound imaging for the detection and evaluation of disorders that involve the AA, detail the abnormalities that are detected or further assessed, and outline its value for echocardiographers, sonographers, and radiologists.

Mots clés: Abdominal aorta; Aneurysm; Aortic regurgitation; Echocardiography; Ultrasound

Domaines: Santé publique et épidémiologie

Bahaa Fadel, Dania Mohty, Brigitte Kazzi, Bandar Alamro, Fatima Arshi, et al.. Ultrasound Imaging of the Abdominal Aorta: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of The American Society of Echocardiography, 2021, 34 (11), pp.1119-1136. ⟨10.1016/j.echo.2021.06.012⟩. ⟨hal-03445886⟩