Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
What is an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
Blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood to the body are called arteries. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a weakening in the wall of the aorta in your abdomen. The weakened wall stretches outward, expanding like a balloon. As it expands the wall becomes thinner and thinner until, like a balloon, it can burst or rupture. The rupture of an AAA can be a life-threatening event. Aneurysm rupture affects about 15,000 people per year making it the 13th leading cause of death in the
Who is at risk for AAA?
Certain things increase your risk of having AAA. There are many things known to contribute to the weakening of the aortic wall.
- Tendency to run in families
- More likely to develop as your get older
- Male gender
- Elevated cholesterol which can form deposits in the wall of the aorta
- Cigarette smoking, or history of smoking
- High blood pressure
- Inflammation or infection of the wall of the aorta (the causes of this are not known)
How is AAA diagnosed?
An aneurysm may be first noticed during a routine physical examination or test for another problem. A complete examination and some tests are done to confirm AAA.
- History and physical examination. Your physician may ask you if any of your relatives have had this problem since AAA can run in families. AAA may be felt as a pulsating mass at about the level of the belly button.
- Ultrasound. An ultrasound test uses sound waves to make images of your aorta and nearby blood vessels.
- CT Scan (computerized tomography). CT scan uses special x-ray and contrast dye to form pictures of your aorta and blood vessels.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging or MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram)). MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnet to show the blood vessels.