It's Aortic Disease Awareness Month - Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

carinandersen
6 days ago
2 min read

☀️ Good morning, everyone! Welcome back to another day of #AorticDiseaseAwarenessMonth!

Yesterday we broke down the structure & function of the amazing Aorta… but let’s start today with a little trivia: 🧐👉 Which layer of the aorta (Intima, Media, Adventitia) provides the greatest strength?

✨ Today’s Topic: Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms (TAA) ✨

🔍 What is an aneurysm? It’s when part of a blood vessel wall weakens and “balloons” outward. This makes the vessel lose strength and raises the risk of rupture — a life-threatening emergency.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-aortic-aneurysm/symptoms-causes/syc-20350188#dialogId28168701

Aneurysms of the brain and heart vessels carry a major risk and require careful screening, long-term monitoring and care by doctors.

🫀 Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA):This occurs in the thoracic portion of the aorta (ascending aorta, arch, or upper descending aorta).

Thoracic aortic aneurysms refer to any aneurysm that include the thoracic component of the aorta, including the ascending aorta, arch or upper part of the descending aorta up to the diaphragm muscle. Be sure to refer to yesterday's post where we went over the different regions of the aorta!

https://sites.uw.edu/uwmtap/thoracic-aneurysm-dissection/

⚠️ Causes & Risk Factors:

Atherosclerosis (fat & calcium buildup in the artery wall)
Connective tissue disorders (Marfan, Ehlers-Danlos, Loeys-Dietz, Turner Syndrome)
High blood pressure & smoking 🚭

😮 Symptoms: Many TAAs are “silent” until they get large or rupture. When they do cause symptoms, they may include:

Chest or back pain
Trouble swallowing or shortness of breath
A pulsating sensation in the chest🚨 Rupture = medical emergency → sudden severe back pain, low blood pressure, dizziness or fainting.

🧪 Diagnosis & Treatment:

Imaging tests: Ultrasound, CT, MRI, Angiography
Small TAAs: monitored closely + risk factor management (BP control, lifestyle changes, quit smoking)
Large/unstable TAAs: may require surgical or endovascular repair

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoracic_aortic_aneurysm#/media/File:CTRupturedTA.PNG

💡 Takeaway: TAAs can be dangerous, but early detection & monitoring saves lives. If you have risk factors or family history, talk to your doctor about screening.

Be sure to check out some of these links for more information about TAAs:

Join us back here tomorrow where will be discussing abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Thanks for tuning in and as always, remember to #ThinkAorta!