Book Description

The aorta ejects blood from the left ventricle into the systemic circulation, hence making it prone to injury and rupture due to continuous mechanical pressure and stress. Some diseases of the aorta and trauma may further accelerate aortic injury. Among them, rupture of the aorta due to increased wall tension secondary to development of aneurysms is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Aortic aneurysms can be classied as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA). Important factors in the eitiology of AAA are smoking, advance age, family history of aortic aneurysm, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis and diabetes. Whereas, the risk factors for TAA are hereditary syndromes like Marfan syndrome,Cutis laxa,Familial thoracic aortic aneurysms syndrome,Loeys-Dietz syndrome and some conditions like Takayasu's arteritis. Other risk factors may include presence of a biscuspid aortic valve, atherosclerosis, hypertension, syphilis and trauma associated with FBLN-4 gene mutations also manifest with aortic aneurysms.