USPIO enhanced MRI of AAAs

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Non - invasive assessment of inflammatory burden in small abdominal aortic aneurysms: A USPIO - enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) study

• IRAS ID

  15502

• Sponsor organisation

  Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge.

• Eudract number

  2009-009421-29

• ISRCTN Number

  n/a

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  n/a

• Research summary

  ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS (AAAs) continue to be a major source of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of AAAs varies on the basis of age and sex; approximately 5% of men and 1.7% of women have an aortic diameter of 3.0 cm or more by the age of 65 years. The prevalence of aneurysms greater than 3 cm in diameter increases by 6% per decade thereafter. The mortality resulting from aneurysm rupture is high (>90%). For those patients who survive long enough to be admitted to the hospital, the operative mortality is about 50%. So, it is useful to have a method of identifying those aneurysms which may be at risk of rupture. Atherosclerosis is a significant contributing factor in the formation of aneurysms. Management strategies depend on the diameter of the aneurysm. However, there is developing evidence that the hotspots (inflammation) resulting from atherosclerosis may be an independent factor causing rapid expansion. USPIO is a special dye which has been successfully used to identify the underlying inflammatory process of atherosclerosis in different arterial beds such as carotid arteries and aorta. In this study we aim to identify inflammatory activity with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of AAAs using this special dye. After MR imaging, the recruited patients will be followed up for 2 years and AAA expansion rate will be determined using ultrasound imaging during this period. The aim would be to see whether there is a correlation between USPIO-determined inflammation and the aneurysm expansion. By doing so, we hope to develop a novel method of identifying aneurysms which have high underlying inflammatory activity, and therefore are at higher risk of rupture.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  09/H0308/74

• Date of REC Opinion

  14 May 2009

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion