Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Rupture of an AAA is a catastrophic event that leads to death in 80–90% of patients overall, including 50–70% of patients that reach medical attention. AAA can be described by their location and/or morphologic features. The pathophysiology is driven by abnormalities in the connective tissue of the aortic wall, namely elastin. While abnormalities in elastin lead to aneurysm formation, disruption of collagen in the aortic wall is what ultimately leads to rupture.