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Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a life-threatening condition, which usually remains without symptoms until rupture occurs. The only way to reduce the high mortality rate (estimated at over 80%) is elective surgery on suitable patients. Therefore the presence of such an aneurysm has to be detected. For this ultrasonography is the method of choice. We studied 4399 consecutive patients aged 50 years and older, who underwent abdominal ultrasonography for the first time. According to the recommendation of the Dutch Society for Radiodiagnostics the whole abdomen was screened. In 4026 patients (1717 men and 2309 women) the ultrasound examination was performed for non-vascular reasons. In 199 of these patients (4.9%) an abdominal aortic aneurysm was an adventitious finding (133 men (7.7%) and 66 women (2.9%)). In men aged 60 years and older it was even found in 10.2%. When abdominal ultrasonography is performed for the first time in a patient aged 50 years or older, the aorta has to be screened for presence of an aneurysm.

Bacterial aortitis is a rare but serious condition. Even when treated surgically, the prognosis is poor. Prompt diagnosis is mandatory. In the absence of specific clinical signs, radiological assessment by means of ultrasound and CT is most valuable. The treatment of choice is early surgical drainage, debridement and arterial reconstruction, preferably through uncontaminated tissue combined with antibiotic therapy. We report the case of a man aged 80 with Salmonella aortitis in whom the diagnosis of bacterial aortitis was made by means of ultrasound and CT, following which successful intervention was carried out.