Everyone Healthy Library
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
Connected health information
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Linked signs and symptoms
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Linked drugs / medications
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Treatments, therapies and supportive options
14Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
6- Abdominal Aortic Aneurism RepairWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- EmbolectomyWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Endoluminal RepairWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Endovascular Aneurysm RepairWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Endovascular Stent-Graft (EVAR)Weakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Open RepairWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
Lifestyle changes
2Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
4These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological and test markers
0This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
No biological marker links are listed yet for this condition.
Introduction / full article
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (often abbreviated to AAA) refers to the dilation of the abdominal aorta.
AAA is caused by the degeneration of muscular tissue in the artery. The condition is most prevalent in older individuals, with men and smokers both having a higher risk.
The most significant complication arising from AAA is rupturing of the artery wall, which is often fatal.
Causes
While the exact causes of AAA are unknown, there are a number of risk factors which have been identified, including:
· Diminished elasticity of the artery wall due to age;
· Genetic disorders; and
· Exogenous factors, such as infection or trauma.
Disease pathway
Weakening of the aorta is caused by a number of factors, such as:
· Digestion of cellular proteins by enzymes;
· Accumulation of calcium, fat and cholesterol deposits along the aorta (calcification); or
· Ruptures within the layers of the artery.
The result is decreased elastin and collagen in the muscle wall, rendering it more susceptible to expansion due to the pressure from blood flow.
An aneurysm is generally considered to exist if the outer aortic diameter is measured to exceed 3cm. The normal diameter is about 2cm.
Most aneurysms are asymptomatic. Aneurysms with a higher risk of rupture are more likely to present with symptoms, which include:
· Lower back, abdominal or groin pain;
· A physically palpable mass in the abdomen; and
· A pulsing sensation in the abdomen.
Treatment
For aneurysms of less than 5cm in diameter, the possible risks of surgery are seen to outweigh the benefits. As such, surveillance is the generally preferred option.