Aneurysm of the thoracic aorta takes approximately 25% of all aneurysms. Despite a small percentage, it remains a dangerous disease. And you can protect yourself only if you are fully informed about the issue.
What is this
To understand what an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta is, it is necessary to explain what an aorta is. The aorta is the largest artery of all in the human body. Blood from the heart muscle enters the organs of the human body through this artery.
The area of this artery passing behind the thorax is called the thoracic aorta. When the aortic wall is broken and its diameter is increased, an aneurysm is diagnosed.
Difference between normal aorta and aorta with aneurysm( chart)
Forms of the disease
Breast aneurysm can be:
- Sachet. The aortic wall extends locally and does not occupy more than half the diameter of the unit.
- Spindle-shaped. The aortic wall expands along the entire circumference.
- Divided. It is formed on the background of an intimal and intra intimal tearing.elastic membrane. From this, the blood separates the layer of the avascular part of the aorta, forming a tubule containing liquefied blood.
Depending on the shape of the aneurysm, treatment is prescribed.
Causes of
The most common cause of an aneurysm is atherosclerosis. Because the disease is accompanied by the deposition of cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques, the aortic wall is weakened, which leads to the formation of an aneurysm.
For prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, our readers advise the drug "NORMALIFE".This is a natural remedy that affects the cause of the disease, completely preventing the risk of getting a heart attack or stroke. NORMALIFE has no contraindications and begins to act within a few hours after its use. The effectiveness and safety of the drug has been repeatedly proven by clinical studies and long-term therapeutic experience.
The opinion of doctors. .. & gt; & gt;
Also on the occurrence of the disease, factors such as:
- affect bad habits, for the most part tobacco smoking;
- age over 50;
- male patient;
- cases of aneurysms in a family history;
- steady increase in blood pressure;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- excessive completeness;
- pregnancy;
- presence of congenital coarctation of the aorta;
About what are the symptoms of an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, we will discuss further.
Symptoms of
Most often, thoracic aneurysm is detected accidentally, with a hardware examination of nearby organs, for example, on X-ray or ECHO.The triggered aneurysm is accompanied by such symptoms:
- snoring;
- shortness of breath;
- cough, sometimes with blood;
- swelling of the face and cervical region;
- shortness of breath;
- severe pressing pain in the sternum and shoulder area;
- hoarseness of voice;
Very often patients confuse an aneurysmal pain syndrome with angina pectoris. How to distinguish them? Pain from angina pectoris can be removed with nitroglycerin, and aneurysm can not be removed.
Next, we need to talk about the diagnosis of an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of an aneurysm, as mentioned above, often happens by accident. However, sometimes it can begin with a visit to the therapist and complaints of malaise. In this case, the therapist analyzes the symptomatology and writes a referral to:
- Clinical blood and urine test to find out the general health of the patient.
- Radiography. This method is most often used due to the availability of equipment.
A more accurate diagnosis can be made using MRI, CT and angiography. The survey data allow to determine not only the presence of an aneurysm, but also its size, structure and other characteristics.
How to diagnose an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta with CT, you can see in the following video:
Methods of treatment
If an aneurysm has a small diameter, the patient is assigned an observation by a vascular surgeon, as well as medical treatment that will help reduce blood pressure and prevent itthe gap. Every six months the patient is obliged to visit the doctor to fix the condition of the aneurysm. If it grows and also causes negative symptoms, the patient will be assigned to surgical treatment, since the risk of rupture is repeatedly increased.
If the aneurysm develops against the background of syphilis, the patient is prescribed benzylpenicylin intramuscularly.
Surgical
The operative treatment of an aneurysm of the thoracic part of the aorta consists in resection of the aortic area affected by an aneurysm, and its replacement with a prosthesis in the form of an artificial blood vessel. The operation, usually, is well tolerated, however, requires a long rehabilitation period: 10-30 days.
Rehabilitation may be delayed if a history of the patient has chest diseases.
Endovascular
If the aneurysm is located in a convenient place for the procedure and has a relatively small diameter, the patient may be given endovascular treatment in the form of endoprosthetics, which goes according to this scenario:
- The patient is pierced by an artery in the thigh area.
- A catheter( a narrow tube) is inserted into the puncture.
- A vascular prosthesis is inserted into the catheter.
- The prosthesis is fixed to unaffected aortic sites located below or above the thoracic aneurysm.
Unlike conventional surgery, endoprosthetics do not require a long rehabilitation period.
On how the endoprosthetics of the thoracic aortic aneurysm occur, you will learn from the video below:
What to do first of all when rupturing an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta?
First of all, you need to make sure that this is really a gap. So, if the pain lasts longer than 6 minutes, is acute and strong in itself, then this is a good reason to attend to the call of the ambulance. You should not try to cure the gap yourself, as this can lead to death.
The doctor will be able to confirm the rupture of the aneurysm definitively, after carrying out the appropriate hardware examination.
Prevention of the disease
If the patient has a tendency to aneurysms or is afraid of their appearance, it is worthwhile to take preventive measures:
- Refuse from harmful habits, especially from smoking.
- Monitor and regulate blood pressure.
- Constantly to be surveyed at the cardiologist and the angiosurgeon.
- Regulate the intake of fatty foods and cholesterol.
- At least 30 minutes a day to give physical exercises.
It would be superfluous to take care of the general state of health. For example, to strengthen immunity with the help of hardening, to keep a balanced regime of the day and diet, to visit the masseur.
Complications of
The main complication of the thoracic aneurysm is its rupture. Because of the rupture, bleeding and acute heart failure are observed. Sometimes there can be a detachment of thrombotic masses. This condition is accompanied by occlusion of the vessels of the extremities, expressed in cyanosis, intermittent claudication and other symptoms.
The absence of treatment also leads to an increase in the symptoms of an aneurysm.
Forecast
The prognosis for aneurysm treatment is positive. With timely detection, even without treatment, the survival rate is:
- 65% throughout the year;
- 20;for five years;
When the aneurysm ruptures, the survival rate is approximately 10%.