A 62-year-old man is discovered to have hyperlipidemia on screening tests after a routine physical examination. Laboratory studies show total serum cholesterol of 285 mg/dL, LDL of 215 mg/dL, HDL of 38 mg/dL, and triglycerides of 300 mg/ dL. This patient is most at risk of developing an aneurysm in which of the following anatomic locations?
High-Yield Explanation
Abdominal aortic aneurysms, which are defined as an increase in aortic diameter of 50% or more, are the most frequent aneurysms, usually developing after the age of 50 years. The most common cause of these abdominal aortic aneurysms is atherosclerosis. Aneurysms secondary to atherosclerosis are less common in the other anatomic locations listed.Diagnosis: Atherosclerosis