Abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient with low back pain

Department

Physical Therapy

Document Type

Article

Publication Source

Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy

Publication Date

2014-01-01

Volume

44

Issue

7

First Page

500

Last Page

507

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Resident's case problem. BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report was to describe (1) the clinical reasoning that led a clinician to identify an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a patient with low back pain requiring immediate medical referral, and (2) an evidence-based approach to clinical evaluation of patients with suspected AAA. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was unable to identify a specific mechanism of injury for his low back pain, lacked aggravating/easing factors for his symptoms, and complained of night pain and an inability to ease his symptoms with position changes. While the patient's symptoms remained unchanged during physical examination of the lumbar spine and hip, abdominal palpation revealed a strong, nontender pulsation over the midline of the upper and lower abdominal quadrants. Due to concern for an AAA, the patient was immediately referred to his physician. Subsequent computed tomography imaging revealed a prominent AAA, which measured up to 5.5 cm in greatest dimension and extended from below the renal arteries to the bifurcation of the iliac arteries. The patient initially deferred surgical intervention but eventually consented 6 months later, after repeat computed tomography imaging revealed that the AAA had progressed to 6.7 cm in greatest dimension. DISCUSSION: It is essential for physical therapists to be familiar with a diagnostic pathway to help identify AAA in patients presenting with apparent musculoskeletal complaints. Knowledge of the risk factors for AAA, understanding how to screen for nonmusculoskeletal symptoms, and a basic competence in abdominal palpation and how to interpret findings will help with the clinician's clinical decision making.

Keywords

Abdomen, Aorta, Clinical reasoning, Palpation

DOI

10.2519/jospt.2014.4935

https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2014.4935

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