Intrathrombotic Pressure of a Thrombosed Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

In a case of thrombosed abdominal aortic aneurysm, intraluminal and intrathrombotic pressures were simultaneously measured 3 cm distal to the left renal vein level (#1), at the inferior mesenteric artery level (#2) (3 cm distal to #1), 3 cm distal to #2 (#3), and at the aortic bifurcation level (#4) (3 cm distal to #3). The intraluminal pressure (at #1) was 154/72 (101) mmHg, and the intrathrombotic pressures at #2, #3, and #4 were 138/77 (100), 137/74 (97), and 135/68 (96) mmHg, respectively. The percentages of the systolic and mean intrathrombotic pressures to the intraluminal pressure were 90% and 99% at #2, 89% and 96% at #3, and 88% and 95% at #4, respectively. The mural thrombus of an aneurysm does not significantly decrease the pressure on the aneurysmal wall, even in a thrombosed aneurysm.