What is an aneurysm?
A swelling of the wall of an artery, vein or the heart due to weakening of its wall by disease, injury or an abnormality present at birth is called an aneurysm. The main issues concerning aneursyms are that the weakened wall may rupture or less often that the swollen vessel can squeeze other structures and interfere with their function. The growth of an aneurysm can be aggravated by high blood pressure. If an aneurysm on a large blood vessel or the heart wall bursts, a person could bleed to death. The larger an aneurysm is the greater the likelihood that it will rupture. A Stroke can result if an aneurysm ruptures in the brain.

Detecting an Aneurysm
Aneurysms can be suspected on plain xrays but are diagnosed by imaging techniques such as echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography (C.T.) or M.R.I. (magnetic resonance imaging). Aneurysms vary in size and may grow at different rates which is why your doctor will want to check it regularly to see if it is enlarging. You may be totally unaware that you have an aneurysm or it may produce some pain if it presses on nearby structures

What is an aortic aneurysm ?
The aorta is the main blood vessel leading away from the heart which is the vessel that distributes blood to all body parts. Its walls can become weakened due to atherosclerosis or to an inherited condition such as Marfan syndrome. The aneurysm usually occurs in the abdominal area below the diaphragm and usually below the arteries supplying blood to the kidneys (abdominal aortic aneurysm or triple A (AAA) as it may be referred). It may also occur in the chest cavity when it is known as a (thoracic aortic aneurysm).

Managing an Aneurysm
In most instances, simply monitoring aneurysm growth is the best management. If an aneurysm is sufficiently large or there is evidence that it is weak or already partially ruptured, your doctor will have it treated urgently. Treatment of a brain aneurysm is by securing a metal clip around the base of the aneurysm. Treatment of an aortic aneurysm is either surgical during which a patch or artificial piece of blood vessel is sewn in place where the aneurysm was or by an endovascular procedure where a pre-made patch is passed through the artery in your groin and positioned inside the aneurysm which protects it from rupture.