abdominal aortic aneurysm

The abdominal aorta is the stretch of the body's main artery that runs down through the belly before splitting toward the legs. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in this segment, the single most common location for an aortic aneurysm. Most cause no symptoms and are found by chance or by screening.

When symptoms do occur they may include a pulsating sensation in the abdomen, or deep belly or back pain. The feared event is rupture, which causes sudden severe pain and life-threatening internal bleeding; the chance of rupture rises steeply once the aneurysm grows beyond about 5 to 5.5 centimeters in diameter, which is roughly the threshold at which repair is usually considered.

Because the condition is silent yet treatable when caught early, several countries offer one-time ultrasound screening to older men, who are at highest risk, particularly those who have smoked. Smaller aneurysms are monitored with periodic ultrasound and managed by controlling blood pressure and stopping smoking, while larger ones are repaired with open surgery or an endovascular stent-graft.