[Aneurysms of the abdominal aorta: possibilities and limits of sonography]

Sonography has proved successful as an excellent method to diagnose an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta with an accuracy of 98%. Diameter of the aneurysm can be determined via sonography with the same exactitude as with CT. The difficulties arising with sonography concern the exact determination of longitudinal spread. If an aneurysm starts on the level of the hilus of the kidney, the information supplied by sonography on an involvement of the renal arteries is not sufficiently safe, whereas the distal end of the aneurysm can often be determined correctly. The angiogram remains indispensable for assessing adjacent vascular regions in asymptomatic aneurysms. Sonography allows good identification of perforated and penetrating aneurysms. This fact emphasises the value of this method also in acute diagnostics.