The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It starts at the heart and passes through the chest to the abdomen. Aortic aneurysms can develop anywhere along the aorta. Once an aneurysm has started to develop, it slowly expands in diameter over a period of several years. As an aneurysm grows larger, the wall of the artery thins. When the strength of the aneurysm wall becomes too weak the wall can break, resulting in a ruptured aneurysm.

There are several options for treatment of aortic aneurysms. Here again, understanding the risks and benefits of the different forms of treatment options are critical. For the remainder of the discussion we will consider aneurysms limited only to the abdomen in the most common configurations, and descending, ascending, and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms will not be included.

Individuals with the following characteristics are at risk for developing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms:

The wall of the aorta is normally very elastic. It can stretch and then shrink back as needed to adapt to blood flow. But some medical problems, such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), weaken the artery walls. These problems, along with the wear and tear that naturally occurs with aging, can result in a weak aortic wall that bulges outward.

Aneurysms are often diagnosed by chance during exams or tests done for other reasons. In some cases, they are found during a screening test for aneurysms. Screening tests help your doctor look for a certain disease or condition before any symptoms appear. Experts recommend screening tests for aneurysms for men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have ever smoked. These men are more likely to have an aneurysm than are women or nonsmoking men.

aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in a blood vessel that can affect any large vessel in your body. An aneurysm happens when the pressure of blood passing through part of a weak blood vessel forces the vessel to bulge outward, forming what you might think of as a thin-skinned blister. Not all aneurysms are life threatening, but those found in the arteries in our bodies often need to be treated. If the bulging stretches the artery too far, this vessel may burst, causing a person to bleed to death.

The consequences of aneurysmal rupture depend on the severity of the bleed. The outcomes range from only having a headache to having different degrees of neurologic deficits, including being in a persistent vegetative state, to death. Approximate 50% of people die following an aneurysmal bleed.

The recommendation to treat or not to treat an unruptured aneurysm needs to be individually tailored. Among the factors taken into consideration include age, general health, location and size of the aneurysm. This decision is facilitated by a frank discussion with a neurosurgeon who specializes in the management of these complex lesions.

Cerebral aneurysms, also called intracerebral or intracranial aneurysms, are balloon-like outpouchings of the arteries in the brain. They arise from a weak point in the wall of the artery and enlarge over time as a result of the pressure within the artery. Because aneurysms have thin walls, their primary danger is that they may rupture, bleed into the brain, and have potentially disastrous consequences. This type of bleeding is known as subarachnoid hemorrhage.

When the wall of an artery becomes weakened, the pressure within the vessel can cause the wall to bulge out forming a localized dilation, or aneurysm. Although a small percentage of such cases are due to inherited factors, the vast majority appear to represent a variant of atherosclerosis and like atherosclerosis, they tend to occur in a limited number of locations. Most aneurysm seem to occur in the abdominal aorta, the main artery lying in the center of the abdomen.

The presence of an aneurysm and its increase in size seldom elicit symptoms. Most aneurysms are asymptomatic until they rupture. In thin people, an aneurysm can often be felt on physical exam but otherwise most aneurysms are found during diagnostic testing, or on screening exams. Ultrasound exam is one of the best initial screening exams available; however, CT scan is generally the test of choice once an aneurysm is felt to be large enough to be dangerous.

The exact cause of aortic aneurysms has been difficult to identify with certainty. Although it is thought that family history (Of all patients with aortic aneurysms, approximately 20% are eventually found to have a family member that was, or is, also affected.), smoking, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol are probably the most important risk factors. It is not yet clear how these factors interact to cause the development of aneurysms.

Patients sometimes detect an aneurysm by feeling a pulsating mass in the abdomen, or it may be found by their physician during a routine physical examination. The best way to detect unsuspected aortic aneurysms is by an ultrasound or CAT scan of the abdomen. . Ultrasound is quick, relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, and accurate ; if the aorta can be seen, the presence of an aneurysm can be identified or excluded.

Once an aneurysm is detected, a decision must be made as to the best treatment for each individual patient. This decision is primarily based on the size (diameter) of the aneurysm as a reflection of its risk for rupture. On average, most aneurysms increase in size by 0.5-cm diameter each year. For patients with small aneurysms, observation and careful follow-up is recommended. It is equally important to stop smoking and maintain good blood pressure control.

Herniated Lumbar Disks - The vertebrae (bones of the spine) are cushioned by blocks or pads of tissue called disks. These disks are round and flat and made up of 2 parts: the annulus (a tough outer capsule or ring) and the nucleus (an inner, spongy core of jellylike material). When these disks are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and are essential in keeping the spine flexible. The normal, everyday pressures on the spine force the outer surface to bulge slightly.

The study of aneurysms was not funded for many years because scientists thought they were just a late, degenerative stage of hardening of the arteries. That concept is changing. Work from diligent researchers has persuaded more and more scientists that in many instances there is a genetic predisposition toward developing aneurysms.