Prospective application of real time 3D speckle tracking ultrasound system in stratifying abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture risk

Purpose: A diameter of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) exceeding 5 cm is associated with significant rupture risk. Nevertheless, 1% of smaller aneurysms rupture yearly while other larger aneurysms remain stable and asymptomatic. Accordingly, rupture risk cannot reliably be determined by aneurysm size, but rather by assessing the mechanical stability of the aortic wall. The aim of this study was to investigate the prospective application of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in evaluating AAA morphology and biomechanical parameters. Material and methods: The 3D ultrasound speckle tracking imaging method was valida…