Development of a CT Reporting Standard for Splenic Artery Aneurysms v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of a Protocolised and Reliable Computed Tomography Reporting Standard for Splenic Artery Aneurysms
IRAS ID
337076
Contact name
Robert Leatherby
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Splenic Artery Aneurysms (SAAs) are the abnormal bulging of the blood vessels which supply the spleen in the abdomen. They are the third most common abdominal aneurysm, after those of the aorta and iliac vessels. If these vessels bulges burst, it can lead to significant internal bleeding which can be life-threatening.
Patients with SAAs often have no symptoms, and they are discovered by chance during Computed Tomography (CT) scans for other reasons. The management of SAAs once found involves either watching and waiting with regular CT scanning or a procedure to fix the aneurysm. Guidelines consider factors such as overall size, change in size, aneurysm appearance and symptoms to help determine the risk of rupture and advise which patients would benefit from a planned repair. Therefore, accurately measuring the size and appearance of SAAs is crucial to making informed medical decisions.
Regular CT scans are the recommended way of keeping track of SAAs which do not yet need repair. Due to their small size, SAAs are more prone to errors in reporting, highlighting the need for careful evaluation. There is currently a lack of guidance on how to report a SAA’s size and appearance in a reliable and standardised way.
To fill this gap in the evidence, our study will investigate patients who have SAAs at St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We aim to create a list of key features for SAAs on CT scans to allow for standardised reporting by doctors. We also will look at how reliably these features are reported between different doctors. This research aims to help medical experts accurately and consistently evaluate SAAs, ultimately improving decision-making and patient care.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/PR/0748
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion