American journal of surgery
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True aneurysms of the abdominal aorta and its branches are at least in part due to defects in the structural integrity of the arterial wall. Whether the defect is isolated to the vascular wall is unclear. If the structural weakness involves other tissues, patients with aneurysmal disease should have a higher incidence of collagen and fascial defects, such as abdominal and inguinal hernias. ⋯ This study emphasizes the increased incidence of abdominal wall hernias in patients undergoing aortic surgery for aneurysm disease compared with aortoiliac occlusive disease. The size of the aneurysm and the association of an iliac artery aneurysm did not affect the incidence of hernias among these patients. Genetic and biochemical abnormalities are considered as possible explanations.