Aortic aneurysm, which can develop in areas where the vessel wall is weak, can occur in any region of the aortic vessel.
What is an Aortic Aneurysm?
The body's largest vessel, the aorta, emerges from the left ventricle of the heart. It is the vessel through which the oxygenated clean blood in the lungs is pumped to the whole body through the heart. After exiting the heart, the aorta, which reaches the coronary artery, which can be defined as the vessel that feeds the heart, continues upwards, reaches the brain and arms, then curves downwards, forks in the groin area and descends to the legs.
The aortic vessel has 5 different sections: ascending aorta, transverse aorta, descending aorta, thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta. The part after exiting the heart is defined as the ascending aorta, the region where cerebral vessels exit is the transverse aorta, the part descending from the dorsal region is the descending aorta, the part in the thoracic cavity is defined as the thoracic aorta, and finally the part in the abdomen is defined as the abdominal aorta. The part of the aorta, which can be defined as the main vessel that distributes blood to the body, is approximately 2.5 cm in diameter, and an average of 5 liters of blood passes through the aorta per minute. Aortic aneurysm can be defined as a balloon-like enlargement of 50% of the diameter of the aortic vessel.
Aortic aneurysm, which can develop in areas where the vessel wall is weak, can occur in any region of the aortic vessel. Aneurysm that occurs in the region where the aorta exits the heart is defined as an ascending aortic aneurysm. Aneurysms that occur in the thoracic cavity are called thoracic aortic aneurysms, while aneurysms that occur in the abdominal cavity are known as abdominal aortic aneurysms. The size of the aneurysm can grow over time. Initially asymptomatic, this condition can lead to some symptoms as the aneurysm enlarges. "What are the causes of aortic aneurysm?"
How Does Aortic Aneurysm Develop?
The formation of aortic aneurysm is mostly related to age. It is more common in people aged 65 and over. Over the years, the vascular structure may change, the vessel wall may lose its flexibility, and accordingly, the resistance of the vessel wall to blood pressure may decrease. More than half of aortic aneurysm cases In most cases, the cause is the formation of arteriosclerosis, which is defined as atherosclerosis in medicine. As atherosclerosis develops, the vessel walls begin to thicken and become damaged, which causes the vessel to lose its flexibility. Aortic aneurysm may develop in damaged vascular areas due to atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis, which is common in patients with high blood pressure, is stretched on the vessel walls due to high blood pressure, and this situation paves the way for the formation of aortic aneurysm. In other words, one of the risk factors for aortic aneurysm is hypertension. One of the factors that play a role in the development of aortic aneurysm is bacterial infections. Certain infections, which can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels, trigger the development of an aneurysm.
Aneurysms seen due to infection are defined as mycotic aneurysms. Diseases that cause connective tissue weakness, such as Marfan syndrome due to genetic disorders, can lead to an aortic aneurysm. Smoking is another cause of aortic aneurysm. Especially, aneurysms developing in the abdominal region are directly related to smoking. Smokers have an 8 times higher risk compared to other individuals. In addition to being overweight or obese, blows (trauma) to the chest area can also cause an aortic aneurysm. . The aneurysm, which usually does not cause any symptoms, is usually noticed during examinations for the diagnosis of a different disease or during routine health checks. However, in some cases, symptoms may occur. These symptoms are usually persistent or intermittent pain in the chest or abdomen. In addition, symptoms such as back pain, difficulty swallowing or shortness of breath may be seen in thoracic aortic aneurysms.
It is also known that some people feel a pulsating movement in the abdomen. However, in case of rupture of the aneurysm, sudden and very severe pain usually occurs and the person loses consciousness in a short time and goes into shock. This situation requires very urgent medical attention.
What are the Risks Associated with Aortic Aneurysm?
Aortic aneurysms occur in areas where the aortic vessel is weak. It is caused by the enlargement of the vein in the form of bubbles. This bubble, which can grow over time, often causes no symptoms. Rarely, it can press on the food and/or trachea. However, when the aortic aneurysm grows too large, the aorta can rupture (aortic dissection), and this can cause life-threatening or even sudden death. In addition, in the presence of an aortic aneurysm, the blood flow in the vessel may be impaired, causing coagulation.
Blood clot can be included in the body circulation from time to time by being caught in the blood stream. If this is part of the clots; If it blocks blood flow in areas such as arms, legs or feet, it may cause symptoms such as weakness, numbness, tingling, chills, dizziness or local pain in the person. If the blood clot occludes the vessels in vital organs such as the kidney and liver, it may cause deterioration in the functions of the relevant organs. However, if a blood clot from an aortic aneurysm gets stuck in the brain or heart vessels, it can cause very serious health problems such as heart attack or stroke.
How to Diagnose Aortic Aneurysm?
Early diagnosis of aortic aneurysms It is very important. Therefore, all individuals who smoke and over the age of 65 should have regular health screenings. Evaluation of the patient for aortic aneurysm can be done by ultrasound examination or chest X-ray. Small-sized aneurysms are followed closely in people who are diagnosed early. In other words, if the size of the aneurysm is less than 3 cm, the patient is followed up to be checked once a year.
If the diameter of the aortic aneurysm is between 3 and 4 cm, the person is called for an ultrasound examination once every six months. In cases of aneurysms larger than 5 cm in diameter or aneurysms that grow more than 1 cm per year, surgical intervention should be performed as soon as possible.
How to Treat Aortic Aneurysm?
Aneurysms are made in different ways according to the size of the aneurysm. Small aneurysms are followed without treatment, while large aneurysms are treated surgically. Beta-blocker types of drugs are used in drug therapy. It is strongly recommended that the person quit smoking. In addition, additional diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia must be kept under control.
In the endovascular treatment method, which can also be defined as intravenous intervention, the treatment is performed with 2-3 cm incisions made in the arterial region under local anesthesia. In the presence of larger aneurysms, the treatment is performed surgically under general anesthesia. The enlarged vascular structure is removed and a stent is placed in its place.
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