What Is an Arterial Aneurysm?

An aneurysm is a manifestation of a limited or diffuse expansion or bulging of the arterial wall due to a lesion or injury of the arterial wall. The main manifestation is an expansive, pulsatile mass that can occur in any part of the arterial system, and the main trunk Arteries, aorta, and carotid arteries are more common.

Basic Information

English name

aneurysm

Visiting department

Vascular surgery

Common locations

Limb arteries, aorta, carotid arteries.

Common causes

Atherosclerosis, injury, infection, immune disease, congenital arterial wall structural abnormality

Common symptoms

Pulsatile mass on the surface, severe pain, limb necrosis, etc.

Contagious

no

Causes of aneurysms

Atherosclerosis

Occurs in elderly people over 50 years old, often accompanied by hypertension, coronary heart disease and so on.

2. damage

Often caused by sharp or blunt injuries.

3. infection

In tuberculosis, bacterial endocarditis, or sepsis, germs can invade the arterial wall, resulting in weak arterial walls and infectious aneurysms.

4. Immune disease

Non-susceptible aneurysms are mostly caused by immune diseases, such as multiple arteritis and Behcet's syndrome.

5. Congenital arterial wall structural abnormalities

Such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Clinical manifestations of aneurysms

Depending on the location of the aneurysm, it can be divided into peripheral aneurysms, abdominal aortic aneurysms, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection aneurysms, and visceral aneurysms. The main manifestations are pulsating masses on the surface and aneurysms compressing peripheral nerve Or rupture, severe pain, thrombus or plaque in the tumor cavity caused by distal arterial embolism and limb, organ ischemia or necrosis.

Aneurysm examination

1. Color Doppler ultrasound can determine the presence and size of aneurysms, aneurysms, and can be used as the main method for screening and follow-up.

2. CTA can confirm aneurysms, can clarify tumor size, location, relationship with surrounding tissues, calcification of arterial walls, intratumoral thrombosis and hematoma formed after aneurysm rupture, providing more accurate information for further surgery.

3. The role of MRA in diagnosing aneurysms is similar to that of CTA. For patients with impaired renal function, MRA can be selected as appropriate.

4. If the above three tests cannot be diagnosed or the relationship between the aneurysm and other important arteries is not clear, DSA should be performed.

Aneurysm treatment

There are differences in the treatment of aneurysms in different parts. The main treatments are surgical treatment, aneurysm repair and aneurysm embolization. The surgical principles are aneurysm resection and arterial reconstruction. Reconstruction methods include arterial breach repair, arterial patch suppression, and end-to-end arterial anastomosis. Intraluminal repair uses a laminar prosthetic endovascular stent for endovascular repair of aneurysms, which has less trauma and affirmative effects, but the indications must be mastered strictly. For some visceral aneurysms, spring coil embolization can be used to form blood clots in the tumor to prevent the tumor from further expanding and bleeding.