How is abdominal aortic aneurysm diagnosed?
Your health care provider may listen to your abdomen with a stethoscope (auscultation). If you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm, there will be a “blowing” murmur over the aorta or a “whooshing” sound (bruit). The health care provider will also perform a physical examination of your abdomen. If a rupture is suspected, he or she may also conduct an examination for signs of blood loss (hypovolemia) and an evaluation of lower extremity pulses and circulation. Because abdominal aortic aneurysms may not cause any symptoms until the condition has progressed, they are usually diagnosed by chance during a routine physical examination. The doctor may feel a pulsing, tumor-like mass in the middle of the abdomen. If the aneurysm is about to rupture, it may hurt or feel tender when pressed. It is important to determine its size because the larger the aneurysm, the greater the risk of rupture. The most commonly used test is an abdominal ultrasound, a painless procedure in which a small scanning dev
