Understanding Aortic Aneurysm: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

An aortic aneurysm is a swelling, or bulging, of the aorta – the main blood vessel that leads away from the heart, down through the abdomen to the rest of the body. The bulging occurs when the wall of the aorta weakens.
Aortic aneurysms don’t always cause problems, but a ruptured aneurysm can cause major internal bleeding and be life-threatening.
risk factors for developing aortic aneurysm include: being male, a family history of aortic aneurysm, smoking, alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and advanced age. Some connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome are also associated with aortic aneurysm.

72 Alikes with Aortic Aneurysm

Learn from others
who are experiencing
Aortic Aneurysm.

Join Now

Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
- Aneurysm of ascending aorta
- Aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta
- Aneurysm of thoracic aorta
- Aortic root dilatation
- Dilated aortic root
- Ruptured Thoracic Aneurysm
- Ruptured aneurysm of thoracic aorta
- Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Signs & symptoms

In most cases, an aortic aneurysm causes no noticeable symptoms. However, if it becomes large, some people may develop a pain or a pulsating feeling in their abdomen or persistent back pain.
If an aortic aneurysm ruptures, you may experience a sudden and severe pain in the chest, abdomen, or back, sweating, dizziness and fainting.

Diagnosis

Because aortic aneurysms usually cause no symptoms, they tend to be diagnosed either as a result of screening, an imaging test that you have done for another reason, or during a routine examination – for example, if your doctor notices a pulsating sensation in your abdomen.
Specific tests that are used to diagnose and follow aortic aneurysms are Ultrasound and CT.

Treatment

Small aneurisms that are not at risk for a rupture may be monitored regularly by US tests or CT scans.
Medications to control high blood pressure may also be needed.
Larger aneurysms may need surgery. This can be done either with open surgery or endovascular surgery. The surgery performed will depend on your overall health and the type of aneurysm.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital