Aneurysm of the aorta of the abdominal cavity: causes, symptoms and treatment

Aneurysm of the aorta of the abdominal cavity is a pathological thinning and protrusion of the wall of a given blood vessel. In a normal state, arterial vessels are rather muscular and thick. This allows them to withstand severe pressure drops. But sometimes, in a certain area, the walls of the artery become thinner and inflate under the influence of internal pressure. This convexity is called an aneurysm. It can be formed on various vessels, but it is most often found in certain areas of the aorta, which is the largest artery in the body. For example, an aneurysm of the ascending aorta or its arches.

Internal walls of pathological formation are often covered with blood clots. Sometimes there is a protrusion of not the entire wall in a particular section of the vessel, but between its layers. Blood is filled with a cavity formed between the tissues of the artery. This pathology is called an exfoliating aneurysm.

Causes of pathology

Aneurysm of the aorta of the abdominal cavity appears most often due to such causes:

• Chronic hypertension;
• Weakening of the walls of the blood vessel, loss of their elasticity, atherosclerosis;
• Age (senile) changes;
• Congenital and hereditary abnormalities in the development of the body. A number of genetic abnormalities, such as Marfan's syndrome, can cause weakness of arterial walls;
• Local mechanical damage;
• A common cause of the occurrence of thoracic aneurysms is syphilis and tuberculosis.

Symptomatics and Diagnosis

Very often, the aortic aneurysm of the abdominal cavity is asymptomatic. In the presence of symptoms, this ailment manifests itself as follows:

• Strong pressing and "tearing" pain in the chest, abdomen or back - between the shoulder blades;
• Sensation of pulsating mass in the region of the stomach;
• The thoracic aortic aneurysm of the abdominal cavity can cause hoarseness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or swallowing (due to the pressure of formation on the esophagus, the airways and the lungs).

It should be understood that the aortic aneurysm is a very dangerous pathology. Breaking it often leads to shock and death. Diagnosing this disease is difficult because of the asymptomatic course. Often it is found by chance in a third-party study. An indirect sign of the presence of an aneurysm may be cardiac murmurs. Research for pathology:

• Ultrasound (dopplerography) ;
• MRI;
• Angiography with contrast agent;
• CT scan.

Even relatively small aortic aneurysms require constant monitoring and control of changes.

Treatment

The surgical method is the only means by which the aortic aneurysm of the abdominal cavity can be eliminated. The operation is performed to remove the weakened section of the artery and replace it with an artificial implant. If the pathology is not far from the aortic valve, its endoprosthetics may be indicated. The operation to eliminate the aneurysm is very complicated and requires the participation of surgeons-phlebologists of high qualification, but ignoring this problem carries a much greater risk.