Human genetics of the abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The results of recent studies suggest that genetic factors may be important in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms. In the present report, the apparent mechanisms of inheritance in 16 families with a total of 41 affected individuals are summarized. The results suggest that there may be both X-linked and autosomal dominant forms of the disease, with the X-linked variant as the more common type. A multifactorial mechanism cannot be ruled out from the results of the present data.