Evaluation of adominal aortic morphology and bifurcation angles in adults using 128-slice computed tomography: a population-specific study in Vietnam.

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the anatomical characteristics of the abdominal aorta in adult Vietnamese individuals using 128-slice computed tomography (CT).

Materials and methods: This descriptive, retrospective study analyzed 128-slice contrast-enhanced CT images from 193 Vietnamese adults acquired at Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, between December 2023 and December 2024. Measurements included the termination level of the abdominal aorta, aortic diameter at three standardized levels (origin, above renal arteries, and bifurcation), total aortic length, and the bifurcation angle between the common iliac arteries. Data were processed using MIP and VR reconstruction techniques and analyzed with SPSS v20.0.

Results: The most frequent termination level was the L4-L5 intervertebral disc (27.5%), followed by the L4 vertebral body (26.4%). The mean aortic diameters were 19.84 ± 2.76 mm at the origin, 17.45 ± 2.44 mm above the renal arteries, and 14.55 ± 2.10 mm at the bifurcation. Males had significantly larger diameters than females at all levels (p < 0.001). The mean aortic length was 138.98 ± 12.15 mm, with males showing significantly longer aortas than females (143.88 ± 11.57 mm vs. 134.03 ± 10.66 mm, p < 0.001). The average bifurcation angle was 43.2° ± 9.52°, with no significant difference between sexes (p = 0.45).

Conclusions: This study provides detailed morphometric data of the abdominal aorta in a Vietnamese population, revealing significant sex-based differences in diameter and length, with implications for clinical decision-making, particularly in endovascular procedures.