Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm - a case series from a tertiary care hospital in South India

BACKGROUND-Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are a dramatic life threatening emergency. Ruptured AAAs can be repaired by open or endovascular method. However, 4 to 5 of sudden deaths in the west are attributed to undiagnosed ruptured AAA. METHODS- We report the clinical features and the outcome of patients presenting with ruptured AAA who underwent open repair at a tertiary care centre in South India. A retrospective analysis of inpatients and outpatient records from January 2010 to July 2011 was done. Diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm or impending rupture was made on clinical grounds and confirmed with an abdominal ultrasound or computed tomographic scan. RESULTS -Five patients presented with ruptured AAA from January 2010 to July 2011. There were four males and one female patient. The mean age at presentation was 57 years.