Drug Therapy for Small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abstract

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is often asymptomatic, less recognized, and causes considerable mortalityand morbidity, if missed. The incidence varies from country to country and the occurrence is influencedby modifiable (smoking, coronary heart disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and prolonged steroid therapy)and non-modifiable risk factors (increasing age, male gender, and positive family history). Most ofthe patients with such aneurysm do not exhibit symptoms and the diagnosis is made accidentally duringroutine medical investigations, abdominal ultrasonography, or by an astute surgeon during an abdominalprocedure. Sometimes the diagnosis is made in an emergency room, if the attending resident/doctor isaware of it. Despite good diagnosis and effective management, the outcomes of complicated cases arepoor and the treatment cost is prohibitive. Hence, we reviewed the literature to find out the pathogenesisof such aneurysms and the usefulness of available drugs in its prevention.