Aortic aneurysm
Excessive enlargement of the human aorta / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size.[1] They usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured.[2] Occasionally, there may be abdominal, back, or leg pain.[3] The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm ("AAA") has been reported to range from 2 to 12% and is found in about 8% of men more than 65 years of age.[4] The mortality rate attributable to AAA is about 15,000 per year in the United States and 6,000 to 8,000 per year in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Between 2001 and 2006, there were approximately 230,000 AAA surgical repairs performed on Medicare patients in the United States.
This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (February 2021) |
Aortic aneurysm | |
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Figure A shows a normal aorta. Figure B shows a thoracic aortic aneurysm (which is located behind the heart). Figure C shows an abdominal aortic aneurysm located below the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys. | |
Specialty | Cardiology, Vascular surgery |
Symptoms | abdominal pain and back pain |
Complications | Hemorrhaging |
Diagnostic method | ultrasound |
The etiology remains an area of active research. Known causes include trauma, infection, and inflammatory disorders. Risk factors include cigarette smoking, advanced age, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The pathophysiology of the disease is related to an initial arterial insult causing a cascade of inflammation and extracellular matrix protein breakdown by proteinases leading to arterial wall weakening.[5] They are most commonly located in the abdominal aorta, but can also be located in the thoracic aorta. Aortic aneurysms result from a weakness in the wall of the aorta and increase the risk of aortic rupture. When rupture occurs, massive internal bleeding results and, unless treated immediately, shock and death can occur.
Screening with ultrasound is indicated in those at high risk. Prevention is by decreasing risk factors, such as smoking, and treatment is either by open or endovascular surgery. Aortic aneurysms resulted in about 152,000 deaths worldwide in 2013, up from 100,000 in 1990.[6]