What is Aneursym?

Posted by Healthfitline On Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Aneurysm is the dilation or widening of a local artery that forms on a weakened point on the wall of a blood vessel (artery). It is not clearly known what causes an aneurysm but several risk factors have been associated with it.

Causes of Aneursym (Risk Factors)
  • Atherosclerosis (the deposition of plaques of fatty material on the inner walls). Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of aneurysm.
  • Congenital conditions and diseases. Such as Marfan's syndrome, Turner syndrome, Menkes' syndrome, among others.
  • Increased blood pressure and high cholesterol levels in the blood.
  • Trauma - penetrating arterial injuries.
  • Cigarettes smoking
  • Non infectious inflammatory diseases, like kawasaki disease.
  • Infections - infections from bacterial, fungi and spirochete.
  • Pregnancy - non specific but it is often linked with formation and rupturing of splenic aneurysms.
Types of Aneursym
Aneursym can be divided into two types; according to the structural characteristics and the location, where it is formed.

Aneursym According to Structural Characteristics
There are three different forms of aneurysm, according to structural characteristics. Saccular, Fusiform and Dissecting. Saccular and Fusiform are the two most common forms.
 
Saccular Aneursym - only one side of the blood vessel is affected.
Fusiform - the entire circumference of the blood vessel is dilated or affected.
Dissecting -  a hematoma (blood clot) is formed outside the blood vessels, separating the different layers of the blood vessel walls.

Aneursym According to the Location
Cerebral aneurysm - a dilated or balloned like blood vessels that is found on the brain.
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm - The most common type and site for  a dissecting aneurysm. It is more prevalent in men between the age of 40 and 70 years. 
Abdominal Aortic Aneursym - Abdominal aneurysm is more common among elderly, Caucasians men (four times more common in men that women). The major cause of an abdominal aneurysm is atherosclerosis.

Signs and Symptoms of Aneursym
The signs and symptoms experienced by an individual depends on the location of the aneursym. In cerebral aneurysm (brain) the main symptom is the headache.

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Signs and Symptoms
  • Pain while lying in supine position (the most common symptoms).
  • Change in voice (hoarsness), stridor or complete loss of the voice.
  • Difficulty while swallowing.
  • Difficulty in breathing.
  • Bluish discoloration (cyanosis) that is more noticeable on the chest wall.
Thoracic Aneursym Diagnostic Tests
  • Chest x-ray
  • Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) - a  transducer tube is passed through the esophagus to the heart to provide clear images of the heart muscles and other existing parts of the heart.
  • CT scan
Abdominal Aneurysm Signs and Symptoms
  • Abdominal mass pulsation.
  • Feeling of heart beating on the abdomen while lying down.
  • Presence of an aortic bruit. A audible sound that is heard over an obstructed artery.
  • Abdominal or lower back pain.
Abdominal Aneursym Diagnostic Tests
  • Pulsation of a mass in the middle and upper abdomen (this is the most indicative diagnostic test).
  • Presence of systolic bruit that is heard over the mass.
  • Duplex Ultrasonography - to determine the size and location of the abdominal aneurysm.
  • CT scan
Symptoms of a Ruptured Abdominal Aneursym
  • Severe, sudden pain that similar to a sharp knife like pain.
  • Lumbar pain that radiates to the flank and on the groin region.
  • Signs and symptoms of a shock; increasing heart rate (cardiac rate), increasing respiratory rate, Decreasing blood pressure and decreasing temperature.
Aneursym Treatment and Management
Not all aneurysm require immediate surgical treatment.  If the aneurysm is still very small, the doctor may recommend a frequent followup, together with occasional ultrasound. Surgeries are mostly performed if the aneurysm has reached a point or it is big enough  to prevent it from rupturing. Some aneurysm do not need any surgical intervention and can remain stable for a long period of time with frequent observation.

Other treatment of aneurysm include;
  • Closely monitoring and treatment of high lood pressure - increased blood pressure is associated with rupturing of an aneurysm.
  • Open surgery - the treatment of choice for abdominal aneurysms that are less than 2 inches (5.5cm). A bypass graft is used to redirect flow of the blood from the obstructed artery.
  • Endovascular grafts (a prosthetic blood vessels is attached across the aneurysm to relieve obstruction). Used to treat infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Possible Complications Associated with Aneurysm Surgeries
  • Bleeding
  • Wound infection at the insertion site.
  • Clot formation (hematoma)
  • Distal ischemia or embolization (decreased blood flow to parts that are away from the site of surgery).
  • Perforation of the aorta
  • Bowel ischemia (decreased blood flow to colon and small intestines).
  • Delayed rupture of the aneurysm.
Labels: Aneurysm, Diseases and Conditions, home

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