Correlation between the Measurement of Transverse Diameter in the Proximal Neck on Computed Tomography and on Aortography before Endovascular Treatment of Infrarenal Aortic Aneurysm

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the measurement of transverse diameter of the proximal neck on computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and graduated catheter aortography in patients who are candidates for endovascular graft placement in order to replace, if both measurements are equivalent, aortography for CTA alone. Preoperative dual-slice CTA and graduated catheter aortography were performed in 35 consecutive patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysm within 10 days. Transverse proximal neck diameters were measured on a true axial section on CTA reconstructions and on aortographic images, always 6 mm distal from the most inferior main renal artery. Mean, median, and standard deviation were obtained and the measurements correlated for each patient using Pearson’s correlation and linear regression analysis. A significant difference in proximal neck transverse diameter measurements was found between graduated catheter aortography and CTA in all cases. CTA values were a mean of 1.74 mm higher than aortography values. Pearson’s correlation indicates a strong correlation between both techniques, and a regression equation determines the predictive value of aortography on the basis of CTA values. Estimation of the transverse diameter of the proximal neck on aortography on the basis of that obtained on CTA allows us to affirm that CTA could be used as the sole method for the preoperative selection of appropriate endograft size in patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysm.