10 Facts About Aortic aneurysm

An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement of the aorta to greater than 1.

In patients presenting with aneurysm of the arch of the aorta, a common sign is a hoarse voice from stretching of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve that winds around the aortic arch to supply the muscles of the larynx.

Once an Aortic aneurysm has ruptured, it presents with classic symptoms of abdominal pain which is severe, constant, and radiating to the back.

Diagnosis of an abdominal aortic aneurysm can be confirmed at the bedside by the use of ultrasound.

Aortic aneurysm rupture is a surgical emergency and has a high mortality even with prompt treatment.

Weekend admission for a ruptured aortic aneurysm is associated with increased mortality compared with admission on a weekday, and this is likely due to several factors including a delay in prompt surgical intervention.

An aortic aneurysm can occur as a result of trauma, infection, or, most commonly, from an intrinsic abnormality in the elastin and collagen components of the aortic wall.

Decisions about repairing an aortic aneurysm are based on the balance between the risk of aneurysm rupture without treatment versus the risks of the treatment itself.

The chance of the small Aortic aneurysm rupturing is overshadowed by the risk of cardiac complications from the procedure to repair the Aortic aneurysm.

Large, rapidly expanding, or symptomatic Aortic aneurysm should be repaired, as it has a greater chance of rupture.