Aortic Aneurysm

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Basics

• Summary
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• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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Summary

An aneurysm is a bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body. If an aneurysm grows large, it can burst and cause dangerous bleeding or even death.

Most aneurysms are in the aorta, the main artery that runs from the heart through the chest and abdomen.

There are two types of aortic aneurysm:

• Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) - these occur in the part of the aorta running through the chest
• Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) - these occur in the part of the aorta running through the abdomen

Most aneurysms are found during tests done for other reasons. Some people are at high risk for aneurysms. It is important for them to get screening, because aneurysms can develop and become large before causing any symptoms. Screening is recommended for people between the ages of 65 and 75 if they have a family history, or if they are men who have smoked. Doctors use imaging tests to find aneurysms. Medicines and surgery are the two main treatments.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• About Aortic Aneurysm (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• What Is Aortic Aneurysm? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Screening (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force)
• Abdominal Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Tests for Lung Disease (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Aneurysm Repair (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Pseudoaneurysm: What Causes It? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
• Aortic Dissection (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Talk with Your Doctor About Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Familial thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Loeys-Dietz syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Aneurysm, Dissecting (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Aneurysm (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Dissection (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Diabetes does not increase in-hospital or short-term mortality in patients undergoing...
• Article: Association of gene polymorphism in ERG rs2836411 with anemia and susceptibility...
• Article: VE-cadherin shedding in vitro and in patients with aortic aneurysm and...
• Aortic Aneurysm -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Glossary (Vascular Cures)

Find an Expert

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• Aortic Aneurysm Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair - open (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair - open - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular- discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Aortic dissection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Thoracic aortic aneurysm (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish