Examining a CT scan of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Part 1: Measuring the thrombus to aneurysm ratio using MatLab.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms are a relatively common medical condition that occurs when the wall of the aorta expands to an above average diameter somewhere in the abdominal region of the body. Since an abdominal aortic aneurysm has a good chance of rupturing, which usually results in death, it must be detected and treated before rupture occurs. The current method of determining whether surgery is necessary depends on factors such as size and expansion rate of the aneurysm as well as the age and health of the patient.