The aorta is the largest artery in our body and originates from the left heart. The aorta is located in the lungs, where purified oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the heart to the body tissues. In this vein, which is located in the center of the blood circulation, an average of 5 liters of blood per minute is pumped in adults.

Aortic Aneurysm Causes and Risk Factors

The risk of developing an aortic aneurysm increases with age. This is because the vessel wall structure changes over the years. As age progresses, the vessel wall loses its elasticity and its resistance to pressure on the vessel wall decreases.

In more than 50% of cases, the cause of the aneurysm is atherosclerosis. It is also common in patients with high blood pressure. Hypertension is also a risk factor for atherosclerosis.

Bacterial infections may play a role as another causative factor in the development of aneurysms.

Less common causes of aortic aneurysm include vessel wall inflammation seen in diseases such as tuberculosis and syphilis. The risk of aortic aneurysm is increased in certain congenital genetic diseases such as Marfan syndrome and Ehler-Danlos syndrome.

Aortic aneurysm developing in the abdomen usually does not show any symptoms at the beginning and therefore cannot be detected in the early period. Over time, the size of the aneurysm increases and causes complaints by pressing on the surrounding tissues and organs. In this case, symptoms related to the digestive system such as pain in the legs, back and indigestion are seen. If an aneurysm has formed in the parts of the aorta in the chest region, symptoms such as chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness and difficulty in swallowing are seen.

What Are the Symptoms of Aortic Rupture?

The larger the aortic aneurysm, the higher the risk of rupture. Abdominal aortic aneurysms greater than 6 centimeters in diameter and chest aneurysms greater than 5.5 centimeters in diameter are particularly dangerous. After the rupture of the aneurysm, a very severe pain occurs in the chest or abdomen, radiating to the back. These complaints are accompanied by nausea. Strong internal bleeding quickly causes circulatory shock. Therefore, prompt and effective treatment is essential.

Aortic Aneurysm Treatment

Treatment depends on the size of the aneurysm. Small-diameter aneurysms that do not cause any symptoms are monitored at regular intervals. In patients with hypertension, blood pressure values ​​are kept within normal limits with treatment. Aneurysms larger than 6 cm in the abdomen and 5.5 cm in the chest are treated surgically. The enlarged vessel area is surgically removed and a stent is placed in its place.

Other Aortic Diseases

Aortic diseases; It is classified in three ways as enlargement of the vessel (aneurysm), separation of the vessel layers (dissection), occlusion or narrowing of the vessel.