Masquerading Back Pain in a Middle-aged Male

• Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are primarily a result of changes in the arterial media and elastic tissues related to coronary atherosclerosis.
• The natural history of AAAs is progressive expansion and the best known predictor of rupture is aneurysm size.
• Most AAAs are asymptomatic and found during radiologic testing for other reasons.
• The role of imaging includes detection of AAA, monitoring of the rate of growth, preoperative planning, and postoperative follow-up.
• Screening for AAA in high-risk patients is recommended to decrease the mortality associated with rupture.