Impacto ambiental sobre la rotura de aneurisma de aorta abdominal

Introduction. Environmental factors have commonly been relatad with the ruplure of abdominal aorlic aneurysms (AAA). The aim of this study is to analyse their influence on the possible seasonality and rupture of AAA. Patients and methods. A retrospeclive ecological sludy, stratified by seasons, was designed drawing on a series of 106 cases of ruptured AAA recorded over the period 2000-2007 and conjírmed by means of computerised tomography and surgery. Atmospheric pressure, temperature and relative humidity on the day of the rupture, and the phase of the moon on ihat same day, were recorded as environmental variables. All these data were provided and processed by the Regional Meteorological Centre. Results. The mean age of the series was 73 years (range: 50-91 years), and there was a clear predominance of male patients (98.1%). The global rate of mortality was 58.5%. A histogram of frequencies revealed a higher incidence of AAA ruptures in autumn (32.1%). The only variable that showed statistically significant dijferences (p < 0.05) between the. days of rupture and non-rupture was the temperature in winter (1.5°C higher on the days when rupture of AAA occurred), summer (3°C higher on the days when rupture of AAA occurred) and autumn (1,5°C lower on the days when rupture of AAA occurred). No significant dijferences were found between days of rupture and non-rupture for the variables pressure and humidity in any of the seasons. A higher frequency of ruplures was noted in the first quarter (29.2%), although the sample size may have limited the stalistical significance with respect lo the other phases of the moon. Conclusions. Although a seasonality phenomenon does exist, our series only confirms a slatistical association between the environmental temperature and the rupture of AAA for our geographical región, A larger sample could probably yield more conclusive results with respect to the other variables that were analysed. [ANGIOLOGÍA 2009; 61: 259-64]