Palpation of the abdominal aorta
The adominal aorta may be palpated in the epigastrium and behind the umbilicus.
A normal aorta may be palpated against the vertebral bodies in thin individuals.
An aortic aneurysm presents as an expansile, pulsatile mass. It is examined by placing the finger tips of each hand parallel to the aorta and at the outermost palpable margins. Confirm that the pulsation is expansile - the examining hands should be pushed further apart with systole - and estimate the transverse diameter.
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