Molecular Imaging of the Underlying Mechanism of Vessel Wall Inflammation Using Positron Emission Tomography (PET/CT)

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening condition in which progressive dilatation of the infrarenal aorta leads to rupture. With \~2.3 million prevalent cases, AAA afflicts \~4% of the U.S. population ≥ 65 years of age and is responsible for \~41,000 deaths annually 4,5. No pharmacologic therapies exist that prevent AAA development, growth, rupture, or aneurysm-related deaths. No diagnostic approaches exist to predict which AAAs will grow and eventually rupture. The study will use the radiotracer 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i to assess the aortic wall in individuals with AAA and repeat these exams approximately 6-8 weeks after baseline to evaluate longitudinal biological variation in uptake and the impact of any clinical changes or treatment effects on tracer uptake. These data will provide insight into molecular imaging of AAA.