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Aortic aneurysm

Atherosclerosisis the most common cause of aortic aneurysm. When an aneurysm of the aorta there are cases of sudden death. Violations of blood circulation compression of the organs that surround the aorta, are the main symptoms of an aneurysm. But in some cases it is asymptomatic and the development of the disease.

Modern doctors diagnose an aneurysm on certain changes in the structure of the aorta. To do this, use different methods and visualization techniques. The key treatment of aortic aneurysm is usually surgery. Therapeutic treatment is used when it is necessary to significantly reduce the rate of progression of atherosclerosis and prevent complications.

Aortic aneurysm is a saccular bulging of the walls of the aorta due to abnormal changes. Not so often, an aneurysm develops as a result of the inflammatory process (syphilis or any trauma). Usually, there are 3 types of this disease: a true aneurysm, false and dissecting. In the first case, there is a slight softening and thinning of the walls of the aorta, and pulling out all of its layers.

False aneurysm is formed of connective tissue that surrounds the aorta. In the wall of the aorta inevitably there is a crack through which the cavity of the false aneurysm gets the blood. The aortic wall in the aneurysm-specific education does not take any part.

When stratifying aneurysm is rupture inside the aorta and blood enters between the layers of the wall. There is protrusion of the inner shell inward of the lumen of the aorta, the upper layers always bulges out. Over time, the blood trapped in the layers of the wall of the aorta becomes the main reason of delamination of the aortic wall, greatly increasing the volume of the aneurysm.

The clinical picture of aortic aneurysm

The clinical status of the aneurysm is directly dependent on the affected area of the aneurysm (abdominal or thoracic portion of the aorta), the extent and variety of the aneurysm. Often aortic aneurysm is formed with mild symptoms or even no symptoms. In most cases, this occurs late diagnosis of this disease, and often treatment is given late.

Often a key symptom of an aortic aneurysm is a constant pain in the sternum (aneurysm of the ascending part of the aorta), pain in back, neck, shoulders (aortic arch aneurysm), pain at the topabdomen and upper torso (aneurysm of the descending part of the aorta). Modern medicine when such pain is almost not help. Another important symptom of this serious disease is a dry, painful, persistent cough, shortness of breath, arise, characteristically, when an aneurysm is strongly compresses the trachea and bronchi.

Hoarseness, hoarseness are the consequences of compression of the aorta recurrent nerve. It is responsible for the formation of the voice and the muscles of the larynx. Significant difficulty swallowing the most typical aneurysm of the descending part of the aorta. This is due to the threat of compression of the esophagus. Abdominal aortic aneurysm often expressed intense lumbar pain and abdominal pain.

Unfortunately, it so happens that the first aneurysm manifests itself in the form of dangerous complications rupture. The patient feels a sharp pain, loses consciousness, becomes very pale, with a thready pulse, while the patient needed immediate medical assistance, although the chances in this case survival is very low.

Diagnosis of the disease always starts with the obligatory definition of the symptoms and complaints of the individual patient. At the General survey and clinical examination of the patient emerges an additional picture of the status of the cardiovascular system of the patient. The final conclusion is usually made with ultrasound or x-rays, which determine the existence of the aneurysm, its exact location and volumes.

For advice you can consult a cardiologist, internist, vascular surgeon, and if necessary to other specialists. Often in parallel are assigned to physical activity, healthy diet, Smoking cessation, medications that reduce elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. The sooner you get made diagnosis of the aneurysm, the more likely the patient to recover and live fully. Therefore, when the slightest symptoms and suspicions should turn to specialists and carefully examined.

Aneurysm of the aorta treated mainly by surgery: use to reconstruct the affected area of the aorta or eliminate the defect in the aortic wall vascular surgery methods. This must replace the damaged section of blood vessels of modern artificial transplantation. Surgery on the aorta is very dangerous, but very necessary in order to save lives.