Conservative Management of mild symptomatic descending thoracic aneurysm – A case report with 1year follow-up

Abstract

Background: The thoracic aorta is made up of the ascending, descending, aortic arch, and aortic root. An aneurysm forms when the artery's usual diameter increases by fifty percent. Thoracic aneurysms affect 10 of every 100,000 elderly adults and are less common than their abdominal counterparts. Patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) rarely experience symptoms, and 95% of TAA patients are asymptomatic.

Case history: A 47-year-old male patient who had a medical history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking. During the first visit, the patient presented with two months of dull back pain. The patient's blood pressure was 180/110 mm of Hg. Our initial assessment involved taking an X-ray and an echocardiography of the patient's chest. The data from his echocardiography and chest reveals that he has a thoracic aneurysm. After a confirmatory CT scan, the diagnosis of thoracic aortic aneurysm was made.

Conclusion: In our case report, conservative method was successful in the management of a mild symptomatic descending thoracic aorta aneurysm. However, the size, growth pace, and underlying cause of an aortic aneurysm might all affect whether doctors recommend surgery to repair it. If an aneurysm ruptures or dissects, immediate surgery may be required.

J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll 2023; 15(1): 87-90