IT Quiz Answer – Feb 13, 2025
Here is the answer to our weekly Intelligent Thursday quiz!
Pop Quiz: February 13, 2025
An elderly patient presents with abdominal pain and hypotension. The patient is rushed to the CT scanner to look for a cause. This is what you see:
What is the most appropriate next step in this patient’s management?
A. Antibiotics
B. Chemotherapy
C. Surgery
D. Discharge
E. Further testing
Check your answer!
The correct answer is C.
This patient has a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and requires urgent surgical repair in order to survive this life-threatening cause of acute abdominal pain.
Explanation:
On CT, we can see a large amount of blood in the retroperitoneum. The images were obtained in the arterial phase, and thus the solid organs remain gray, and contrast is only within the aorta. The aorta is dilated with an irregular wall due to atherosclerosis, and there is a visible defect in the wall through which contrast is leaking into the retroperitoneum.
To scroll through the image series, visit our Abdominal CT Masterclass: Common Pathologies.