Thoracic aortic aneurysm

A thoracic aortic aneurysm is a ballooning of the aorta in the chest, above the diaphragm, distinct from the more common abdominal aortic aneurysm. It is less prevalent than the abdominal form, though aneurysms caused by syphilis more often occur in the thoracic aorta. Causes include connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a congenital bicuspid aortic valve, atherosclerosis, aortic dissection, inflammation and blunt injury. Left untreated, a thoracic aortic aneurysm can be fatal through dissection or rupture, with rupture carrying a mortality rate of 50 to 80 percent, and aortic complications are the leading cause of death in people with Marfan syndrome. Because both the heart and the great vessels are involved, treatment generally requires a coordinated team of vascular and cardiac surgeons, using either open surgical repair or endovascular repair depending on the aneurysm's size and location.