What is an aneurysm? An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel.
When an aneurysm bursts, that is referred to as a rupture. A ruptured aneurysm causes bleeding inside the body and often leads to death.
Some aneurysms may not cause symptoms and can go undetected.
Aneurysms can develop in several parts of the body, including:
- The body’s main artery is 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 healthcare provider will consider symptoms, medical history, family medical history, 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.