DISSECTING AORTIC ANEURYSM: WHAT TEST FOR ANEURYSM ANEURYSMS WHILE DANGEROUS MAY HAVE NO SYMPTOMS

DISSECTING AORTIC ANEURYSM: WHAT TESTS FOR ANEURYSM WHILE DANGEROUS MAY HAVE NO SYMPTOMS

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Risk Factors for Aneurysms include High Blood Pressure, Atherosclerosis, Cigarette Smoking

Some Medical Conditions Such As Marfan's Syndrome May Also Increase Risk of Dissection

He started to complain of not feeling well and then suddenly, John Ritter, the great star of Three's Company and many other hits had suffered a dissecting aneurysm. The layers of the arteries can weaken and start to bulge. That bulge is called an aneurysm. A sudden tear in a layer is called a dissection. Needless to say a sudden tear in an artery as important as the aorta can have very serious consequences.













The aorta is the large artery that carries the freshly pumped blood away from the heart's left ventricle and distributes it to the body. The aorta is the biggest of all the arteries and like the other arteries is composed of layers which makes sense when you consider that arteries carry blood under pressure versus veins which usually carry blood returning to the heart.





A big problem is that most abdominal aortic aneurysms don't have symptoms, are not detectable on physical examination, and are discovered during radiologic testing for other reasons. Tobacco use, hypertension, a family history of aneurysms, and male sex are risk factors for an aneurysm. Most people have no symptoms. When an aneurysm leaks or tears you might feel

Sudden pain in your abdomen, groin, back, legs or buttocks

Nausea and vomiting

Abnormal stiffness in your abdominal muscles

Swelling or bulging in one area of your abdomen

Clammy skin

Special Tests Required for Aneurysm Diagnosis

How Aneurysms are Detected and New Ideas About How to See Them with CT scans, Ultrasound and MRI






Classically, a dissecting aneurysm presents with a sharp pain from the front radiating into the back but an aneurysm could present in other ways too.
A problem with aneurysms is that a person can have one and not know it. People can function well with small aneurysms and routine testing may fail to pick them up. X rays are generally not sufficient to detect aneurysms and imaging like ultrasounds, CT scans and MRI are usually indicated.Sometimes aneurysms are detected on physical exam as a pulsatile mass in the abdomen.It is important to determine how big the aneurysm is and obviously where it is.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm



"A new study says that women over 65 with a history of smoking or heart disease are also at high risk for an abdominal aortic aneurysm supporting the notion that they should also receive ultrasound screening to help spot and correct the dangerous condition. The findings, reported in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, challenge current recommendations on AAA screening issued by the United States Preventive Services Task Force".

Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Women May Save Lives

A Possible Blood Test for Aneurysms



For an explanation of aneurysms with illustrations see

the Merck Manual section on aneurysms

Aneurysms and Aortic Dissection