| Summary: | Atherosclerosis was considered the main cause of abdominal aorta aneurysms. Many researchers suggest the presence of the association between these two entities. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the presence of atherosclerosis in the aorta and the arteries of the lower extremities, as well as stenoses and occlusions of carotid arteries in patients with abdominal aorta aneurysm.
One-hundred and eighty patients with abdominal aorta aneurysm (23 women and 157 men), aged 50–86 years old (mean 67.28 ± 9.95) were qualified for the study. Each patient had ultrasound of abdominal aorta, arteries of the lower extremities and extracranial carotid arteries. The patients were divided into two groups: A – isolated abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA-92 patients), B – AAA with atherosclerotic lesions in the abdominal aorta and/or the arteries of the lower extremities (88 patients), in which four different localizations of atherosclerotic lesions were distinguished.
The statistically significant differences between the groups were observed in the prevalence of carotid arteries stenosis (CCA + ICA). No correlation was found between the aneurysm diameter and the stenosis grade of the extracranial segments of the carotid arteries.
The presented results confirm the common occurrence of atherosclerotic lesions in aorta and/or arteries of the lower extremities and carotid arteries in patients with abdominal aorta aneurysm, yet their etiology is different. Such patients represent a heterogeneous group in respect to the presence of carotid arteries stenoses.
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