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Aneurysm

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Roman Itskovich
Aneurysms
An aneurysm is a ballooning of a blood vessel wall that has weakened and stretched out and for this reason is likely to rupture. The rupture of a major blood vessel can cause a severe drop in blood pressure that can lead to death.
Aneurysms can greatly vary in size. An aortic aneurysm is defined as being at least 50% greater diameter than normal vessel width (that is- 3 cm instead of 2), but it is capable of expanding up to a couple of inches and can be felt during a physical examination.
Aneurysms can happen in any blood vessel but are far more likely to develop in an artery than a vein due to the large difference in blood pressure. For example, aortic aneurysms are common, but there are fewer than 50 cases reported in the world literature of aneurysms of the inferior vena cava.
Often aneurysms happen in large blood vessels, such as the aortic arch and the abdominal aorta. However, they can occur anywhere, down to the iliac artery, in the legs, in the kidneys, in the brain, in the heart, and even in the capillaries.
Aortic aneurysms are among the most common. The rupture of an aortic artery causes massive internal hemorrhage into the surrounding cavity. It can happen at the aortic root – the connection of the heart to the systemic circulation. They also occur at the aortic arch. Most commonly, they develop in the abdominal aorta, the largest artery in the abdominal cavity.
The vast majority of aneurysms are asymptomatic, but as an aneurysm expands, it forces pressure on the surrounding tissues and can cause pain, or the feeling of a pulsing sensation.
Aneurysms form for a variety of reasons. Arteriosclerosis is a general term that refers to the gradual hardening and degradation of artery walls. For many reasons such as age, wear-and-tear on connective tissue, narrowing of the vessels, and a multitude of diseases, blood

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