What you need to know about cardiac aneurysm of the aorta

Aneurysm in the thoracic spine often occurs on the background of degenerative changes of the aorta and medionecrosis caused by unclear reasons. For this type of pathology has its own term - "annuloaortic ectasia". It is characterized by:

• High risk of sudden death;
• An aortic dissection;
• Valve insufficiency (more suffering aortic valve).

Saccular aneurysms form most frequently occurs in the ascending part of the aorta. To aneurysm of the ascending portion often cause inflammatory processes in the aorta and syphilis.

Among the causes of aneurysms are trauma. In people undergoing surgery for the separation of the aortic wall of the heart, sometimes an aneurysm occurs in other previously healthy portions of the aorta.

Symptoms

In most cases, an aortic aneurysm of the heart are asymptomatic. Discover it by chance – during preventive examinations or during the examination of another body. Complaints, patients appear to be the case if the aneurysm is growing rapidly or is on the verge of rupture.

Aneurysm of arch and descending aorta causing symptoms much more often than the process localized in other parts. The reason for this is anatomic location. Such an aneurysm can put pressure ribs, the thoracic spine, the mediastinum, the sternum. Thus, the compression of the bronchi and trachea causing cough and shortness of breath, compression of the esophagus causing palpitations, compression of the recurrent nerve is characterized by hoarseness.

Long-lasting aching or burning pain behind the breastbone or in the back right is typical for pathology of the thoracic aorta of the heart. May experience and the symptoms of other heart diseases such as heart failure. In these cases the patient complains of weakness, shortness of breath, dry hacking cough, swelling, frequent headaches and dizziness.

On examination, the physician must pay attention to the external characteristics of a person. High growth, elongation of the palms (dolichostenomelia), deformation of the sternum, scoliosis, kyphosis, joint hypermobility may indicate the presence of Marfan syndrome, about which we wrote above.

Unfortunately, sometimes the first manifestation of the disease is the rupture of the aorta, which is manifested by bleeding in the mediastinum: pleural cavity, the esophagus or the bronchi. The patient has copious vomiting of blood, in pulmonary hemorrhage rupture of the aorta precedes krovoharkanye within a few days. That is massive bleeding with rupture of the aorta are fatal.

In addition to ruptures, aneurysms can be complicated by blood clots in the arteries of the systemic circulation, including brain blood vessels. In suchpatients also experience stroke.

The prognosis of the disease

The prognosis is considered unfavorable. Since the emergence of the disease in the next five years, dying about 75% of patients. And half die from a ruptured aorta, the rest of the patients from comorbidity of stroke and coronary heart disease.

There is a dependence of the threat of rupture of the aorta of the heart from the size of the aneurysm. Vessel expansion over 5 cm is considered to be threatening to patient's life. But in some cases, older patient age or other heart disease can pose a greater threat to life than the presence of an aneurysm of a small size.

The aortic rupture is a medical emergency requiring emergency surgery. Upon rupture or dissection of the aorta is emergency surgery. Without it, the patient rarely lives longer than a few days.

Treatment

Surgical surgery is indicated in the following cases:

• The diameter of the aneurysm more than 6 cm;
• If under medical supervision, there is a rapid increase in the size of the aneurysm;
• When an aneurysm caused by trauma.

Surgical mortality of the disease is about 15%. The operation may have contraindications in case if the aneurysm is accompanied by severe heart disease.

Preventive measures

To consider the prevention of aneurysm should be the same as the prevention of heart disease and atherosclerosis. This is important:

• Healthy lifestyle;
• Quitting Smoking and alcohol consumption;
• Balanced diet;
• Sufficient physical activity;
• Timely medical examinations to identify precipitating diseases.

Treat your health and remember that it is only a healthy person can be truly happy!