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Maryland Heart Center

Patient Conditions


UMMC's Heart and Heart Surgery Program ranked as one of the nation's 50 best by U.S. News & World Report's 2010 "Best Hospitals" survey.

What is a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm? | Symptoms | Diagnosis and Prevention | Surgical Treatments

 

What is a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm?

An aneurysm is abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of a blood vessel. The blood vessel wall becomes weaker in this location. Aneurysms can occur in any artery in the body, including the aorta. The aorta is the largest artery in the body and the primary blood vessel leading from the heart to the body. It carries the blood that is pumped out of the heart and distributes it to the organs of the body.

The aorta extends from the heart, down through the chest (the thoracic aorta) and into the abdomen (the abdominal aorta.)

A thoracic aortic aneurysm is a localized expansion of the wall of the aorta.

Causes

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are caused by:

Atherosclerosis is by far the most common cause.

Thoracic aneurysms occur in the ascending aorta (25% of the time), the aortic arch (25% of the time), or the descending thoracic aorta (50% of the time).

Prevention measures for aortic aneurysms would be the same ones taken to prevent atherosclerosis. These would include not smoking, controlling blood pressure and blood lipid levels, and exercising daily.


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