9%20ECOGRAFIA%20ABDOMINAL%20COMO%20CUANDO%20DONDE

196
ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND
age and patients may present with a pulsatile, mid
abdominal mass. Patients most at risk are men aged
60 or over, with an incidence of up to 9% after age
75. The risk of aneurysm rupture increases with
diameter, increasing dramatically when it reaches
6 cm, with a 1-year mortality of 50%. 1
A
A
B
Figure 8.1 (A) Axial and (B) sagittal sections through
the abdomen, showing the relationship of the abdominal
viscera to the peritoneum (red).
ha
C
Sa
approach from the patient’s left side often overcomes
this problem (Fig. 8.2D) and is also useful
in displaying the origin of the renal arteries.
The aorta often becomes ectatic and tortuous
with age, and it is not unusual to detect considerable
calcification of the walls (Fig. 8.2G).
Aortic aneurysm
The most frequent referral for aortic scanning is to
establish or monitor the presence of an aneurysm.
The incidence of aortic aneurysm increases with
B
Figure 8.2 (A) Longitudinal section (LS) through the
abdominal aorta, demonstrating the coeliac axis
(arrowhead) and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA)
(arrow). The splenic vein (SV) and body of pancreas are
seen anterior to the SMA. (B) Transverse section (TS)
through the proximal abdominal aorta. The coeliac axis,
(C), divides into the hepatic and splenic arteries.
(Continued)