Opportunistic AI Algorithm Enhances AAA Detection on Abdominal CT
June 23, 2025
A commercially available AI tool increases the rate of incidental abdominal aortic aneurysm detection on CT scans.
Key Details
- The AI algorithm automatically measures aortic lumen size to flag possible AAAs on CT imaging.
- Incidental AAAs are reportedly detected in about 4% of emergency abdominal CTs, though some estimates are much higher.
- AI opportunistic screening aims to catch AAAs frequently missed in busy acute settings without disrupting radiologists' workflow.
- Few previous studies have evaluated the performance of such tools in large clinical settings.
Why It Matters
Radiologists in emergency and acute care settings may overlook incidental findings like AAAs, which can be life-threatening if untreated. Implementing AI-powered detection can improve patient safety and outcomes by identifying at-risk individuals earlier and more reliably.