65 year old male patient who smokes 2 packs of cigarettes per day for the last forty five years presents for a "check up" to a nurse practitioner. You find that his blood pressure is 155/95 mmHg and he states that that is low for him and it is usually much higher. He is overweight and has no other interesting physical exam findings. You consider him for screening for AAA as he is at risk, which of the following modalities are best for screening? (Hint: Which test is least invasive, low cost and shows the best image of a AAA?)

Question

Group of answer choices

MRI of abdomen and pelvis with contrast.

CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast.

Ultrasound of abdomen.

X-ray of abdomen.

Answer 1

For screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), the best modality is ultrasound of the abdomen.

Ultrasound is non-invasive, cost-effective, and effective at visualizing AAA. It does not involve radiation exposure like CT or X-ray, and it provides real-time images of the aorta, making it an ideal choice for screening in at-risk populations, such as this patient who is a 65-year-old male smoker.

In summary, the correct answer is:

Ultrasound of abdomen.