Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

A thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a widening (bulging or dialation) of part of the wall of the aorta, the body's largest artery, that causes the diameter of the aorta to grow to more than 1.5x its normal diameter. TAA is diagnosed in approcaimtely 15,000 to 25,000 people in the United States annually - 5.9 to 10.4 per 100,000 people per year. The incidence of TAA continues to increase due to the aging population and increased access to sophisticated imaging in order to diagnose it.

 

The average age of diagnosis for women is 76 and 63 for men. As much as 12% of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm also have TAA.

TAA Symptoms

The majority of patients with TAA are asymptomatic. More than 75% of patients with ruptured thoracic aortas die within 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. However, only about 50% of patients with TAAs notice symptoms. Often it is called the silent killer because so many patients never experience a symptom. Instead, most TAAs are found during testing for other disorders. Some possible symptoms include the following.

• Pain in the chest, back, neck, or jaw
• Coughing, hoarseness, or dyspnea
• Plethora and edema (from compression of superior vena cava)  
• Most patients are hypertensive

 

Symptoms indicating a rupture may include the following.

• Chest or back pain
• Hemoptysis/hematemesis
• Cardiovascular collapse

TAA Risk Factors

• Over age 60
• High blood pressure
• Current or former smoker
• Arteriosclerosis
• Family history of aneurysms

TAA Diagnosis and Treatment

The following are common procedures used to diagnose TAAs.

• Chest X-Ray
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Computed Tomography (CT)
• Angiography
• Transesophageal Ultrasound (TEU)

Treatments may include medical management/monitoring, open surgical repair or endovascular stent-graft repair.