Aneurysms

Overview

An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel. An aneurysm can burst. This is called a rupture. A ruptured aneurysm causes bleeding inside the body and often leads to death. Some aneurysms may not cause symptoms. You might not know you have an aneurysm even if it is large.

Aneurysms can develop in several parts of the body, including:

• The body's main artery, called the aorta (aortic aneurysm).
• The part of the aorta that passes through the belly area (abdominal aortic aneurysm).
• The part of the aorta that passes through the chest (thoracic aortic aneurysm).
• Blood vessels that send blood to the brain (brain aneurysm).
• Blood vessels in other parts of the body, such as the legs, groin or neck (peripheral aneurysm).

Some small aneurysms have a low risk of rupture. To determine the risk of an aneurysm rupture, a health care provider considers:

• Your symptoms.
• Your medical history.
• Your family's medical history.
• The size, shape and location of the aneurysm.

Treatment of some aneurysms may only involve regular health checkups and imaging tests. If an aneurysm breaks open, emergency open surgery is needed. Sometimes a less-invasive treatment called endovascular surgery may be done.