The microscopic features of inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms: discriminant analysis

Up to 15% of abdominal aortic aneurysms are designated as inflammatory. They are characterized by marked fibrous thickening of the aneurysmal wall, with the fibrosis extending into the adjacent retroperitoneum. Thirty-five abdominal aortic aneurysms were studied, 15 inflammatory and 20 atherosclerotic. Of the inflammatory group, 10 were symptomatic and five asymptomatic. For each resection specimen, 59 microscopic features (variables) were scored semi-quantitatively. Discriminant function analysis showed that endarteritis obliterans, fibrosis around nerves or ganglia at the outer margin of mural fibrosis, and the thickness of the combined fibrotic media and adventitia gave a satisfactory high discrimination between atherosclerotic and inflammatory aneurysms. When these three variables are used together, a histological diagnosis of inflammatory aneurysm can be made with an expected accuracy in excess of 80%.