OBJECTIVES: To determine whether abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) may be detected during investigation for concurrent disease and to assess whether opportunistic detection is a feasible alternative to a formal screening programme. DESIGN: A prospective review of previous investigations in subjects attending for aortic screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 276 men aged 65-80 attended the Chichester AAA screening programme. They were asked whether they had consulted their General Practitioner and whether they had undergone radiological investigation within the preceding 5 years. RESULTS: Two-hundred and sixty-one subjects had consulted their General Practitioner (94.6%) within the past 5 years. Fifty-six patients had been investigated with radiological imaging: in 22 cases (8.0%) the investigation had the potential to detect an AAA. The opportunistic detection rate was 0.4% (one AAA) in comparison to 12.0% for the screening programme (33 AAA). Imaging investigations with the potential to pick up AAA failed to detect five out of six aneurysms in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunistic screening for AAA is not a realistic alternative to a formal screening programme but may improve the detection rate in the community.
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) may be detected during investigation for concurrent disease and to assess whether opportunistic detection is a feasible alternative to a formal screening programme. DESIGN: A prospective review of previous investigations in subjects attending for aortic screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 276 men aged 65-80 attended the Chichester AAA screening programme. They were asked whether they had consulted their General Practitioner and whether they had undergone radiological investigation within the preceding 5 years. RESULTS: Two-hundred and sixty-one subjects had consulted their General Practitioner (94.6%) within the past 5 years. Fifty-six patients had been investigated with radiological imaging: in 22 cases (8.0%) the investigation had the potential to detect an AAA. The opportunistic detection rate was 0.4% (one AAA) in comparison to 12.0% for the screening programme (33 AAA). Imaging investigations with the potential to pick up AAA failed to detect five out of six aneurysms in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunistic screening for AAA is not a realistic alternative to a formal screening programme but may improve the detection rate in the community.