Abdominal aortic aneurysms cause more than 175,000 deaths globally every year, with an 80% mortality rate if ruptured1. Routine surveillance is important, yet imaging modalities in the current standard of care are associated with significant drawbacks: inter-operator variability with 2D ultrasound and patient exposure to high levels of radiation and nephrotoxic contrast agents with CTA.
Philips AAA Model segments and quantifies 3D ultrasound data for use in surveillance of native and post-EVAR AAAs.
Philips AAA Model provides key measurements; including the maximum anterior-to-posterior (AP) diameter and partial volume, while also indicating the centerline of the aneurysm.
Improved patient experience
Philips AAA Model improves the patient experience by eliminating exposure to high levels of radiation and nephrotoxic contrast agents, while still providing clinicians with the necessary diagnostic information.
It has been shown that 3D ultrasound can be used to estimate the diameter and volume of an AAA with acceptable reproducibility and an improved agreement with CT2.
3D ultrasound also correlates significantly better to 3D CT than the currently used method of 2D ultrasound when assessing maximum diameter of the residual sac after EVAR, with clinically acceptable reproducibility3.
For surveillance of a native AAA by measuring the maximum AP diameter of the aneurysm, it has been shown that a 3D ultrasound exam can be used with inter-operator reproducibility superior to that of a 2D ultrasound exam5.
The maximal diameter of an AAA is ideally measured perpendicular to the centerline, a methodology that so far has only been feasible with 3D CT and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)5. Philips AAA Model provides the centerline of the AAA throughout the volume of the 3D acquisition, making 3D ultrasound now also feasible with this methodology.
Philips AAA Model also provides the partial volume of the aneurysm which is beneficial as it has been observed that more than one-third of small AAAs, considered to be stable based on diameter alone, were actually growing in volume6.
The low cost of ultrasound, combined with the absence of both radiation exposure and administration of nephrotoxic contrast agents to the patient, has made it the preferred imaging modality for aneurysm screening and surveillance7.
Procedure | Approximate effective radiation dose | Comparable time period of natural background radiation |
Ultrasound | 0 mSv | 0 years |
Computed tomography (CT): abdomen and pelvis | 10 mSv | 3 years |
X-ray: chest | 0.1 mSv | 10 days |
X-ray: dental | 0.005 mSv | 1 day |
Mammography | 0.4 mSv | 7 weeks |
Downloads and links
Learn more about the Philips X6-1 xMATRIX array transducer with PureWave crystal technology in the specification table below.
*Internal measured comparison on calibrated tissue phantom between mC12-3 and C8-5 transducers on EPIQ Elite ultrasound system. **Internal measured comparison on standard MFI to EFI HDD using clinical targets and standard measurement methodology.
1. Howard DP, Banerjee A, Fairhead JF, et al. Age-specific incidence, risk factors and outcome of acute abdominal aortic aneurysms in a defined population. British Journal of Surgery. 2015;102(8):907-915. doi:10.1002/bjs.9838. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4687424 2. Bredahl K, et al. Three-dimensional ultrasound evaluation of small asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. 2015;49(3):289-296. www.ejves.com/article/S1078-5884(14)00699-6/abstract 3.Bredahl K, Taudorf M, Long A, Lönn L, Rouet L, Ardon R, Sillesen H, Eiberg JP. Three-dimensional ultrasound improves the accuracy of diameter measurement of the residual sac in EVAR patients. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. 2013;46(5):525-532. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1078588413005753 4.Radiological Society of North America, Inc. Radiation dose chart for physicians: radiation dose to adults from common imaging examinations. 2018. www.acr.org/-/media/ACR/Files/Radiology-Safety/Radiation-Safety/Dose-Reference-Card.pdf?la=en 5.Ghulam QM, et al. Clinical validation of three-dimensional ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2019. In Press. www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(19)31126-7/abstract 6.Ghulam QM, et al. Follow-up of small abdominal aortic aneurysms using three-dimensional ultrasound: volume versus diameter. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. 2017;53(3): e17. www.ejves.com/article/S1078-5884(16)30641-4/abstract 7.Chaikof EL, et al. The Society for Vascular Surgery practice guidelines on the care of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2018;67(1):2-77.e2. www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(17)32369-8/abstract
- Philips Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Model is available in selected countries. Please consult your Philips representative for further details.
- Philips Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Model is available in selected countries. Please consult your Philips representative for further details.
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