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Updated: May 20, 2026

An Approach to Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta
Published on: September 8, 2023
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting as acute unilateral leg swelling--not all swelling below the knee is
Rhiannon Talbot1, Jonathon Andrews, Jacqui Munns
1Emergency Department, The Royal London Hospital, London, UK.
Abstract:
The authors describe a patient with a previously undiagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysm who presented to the emergency department with acute unilateral leg swelling following aneurysm rupture into the vena cava. Abdominal examination raised the suspicion of intra-abdominal pathology which was confirmed with bedside ultrasound, followed by CT aorta. The patient was transferred for urgent repair and made a good recovery. Unilateral leg swelling is a common presentation to frontline clinicians and this case is a reminder that deep vein thrombosis is not the only important cause.
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