Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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A REVIEW OF ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS: RISK FACTORS, SCREENING, PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACH

DIDUTA ALINA BRIE 1,2, ADELINA MARIA JIANU 3, ROXANA POPESCU 1,2, TAMARA MARCELA MARCOVICI 4,5, IOANA MUNTEAN 1,2, DANIELA PUSCASIU 1,2, MIHAI MITULETU 1,2, DANIEL MIRON BRIE 6*, MADALINA BORUGA 7

1Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timişoara, Romania
2 ANAPATMOL Research Centre, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timişoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timişoara, Romania
3 Department of Anatomy and Embryology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timişoara, Romania
4 Clinical Section I Paediatrics-Nutritional Recovery, “Louis Turcanu” Children's Emergency Hospital, 300011, Timişoara, Romania
5 Department XI Paediatrics, Discipline I Paediatrics, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timişoara, 300041, Timişoara, Romania
6 Department of Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease Institute Timişoara, 13A Gheorghe Adam Street, 300310, Timişoara, Romania
7 Department of Toxicology and Drug Industry, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timişoara, Romania

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Most patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are asymptomatic, being diagnosed during an imaging evaluation for other symptoms. AAA rupture is an emergency, being one of the causes of sudden cardiac death and maybe the first manifestation of the disease. Survival is reduced in case of rupture, even if the patient arrives at the hospital and undergoes a surgical or endovascular intervention. This review describes risk factors and the critical role of screening diagnosis (questioning current methods). When we use current screening methods, a group of patients at very high risk of rupture remain undiagnosed. The newly developed medical treatment, as well as the role of anatomy in selecting patients who can undergo endovascular repair, are also reviewed. Modern endovascular treatment requires a rigorous selection of patients, especially on anatomical criteria, to reduce the procedure's risks. A better screening algorithm with specific laboratory tests and imaging methods to describe the anatomy is essential for earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment.