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Newly diagnosed with 3.9cm ascending aorta

Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: Jul 29, 2025 | Replies (29)

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Thank you for your reply and sharing your situation. That sounds absolutely horrifying. I’m sorry that your experience was shocking and scary. You would think that everything that is reported to the doctors would be communicated to us about our bodies completely but I know that sadly it’s often not the case. My mother’s and sisters dilation that I discussed earlier has thankfully remained stable. I am having another lung scan in September and hopefully mine will be stable as well. At this point I am wondering if the size of my ascending aorta will be reported and communicated on this next scan as it is a lung scan to monitor some lung nodules I have as well. I have made a mental note that if the scan does not mention my ascending aorta that I will follow up with it and ask for an echocardiogram at the least to check it. I don’t like the idea of of having a lung scan to look at the nodules annually and then another ct scan to look at the ascending aorta annually when they can actually both be seen on one scan. But sometimes these radiologists don’t always note incidental findings. I learned that when a scan I had last year showed masses on my liver and they looked back retrospectively at previous scans and the masses were there previously but were not reported at that time. Thankfully they were benign but it triggered further scans and tests as well as anxiety to investigate them. Wishing you good health and that your condition remains stable and that you will never have to have another operation.

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Replies to "Thank you for your reply and sharing your situation. That sounds absolutely horrifying. I’m sorry that..."

Have one CT and have one copy sent to your cardiologist and one to your pulmonologist! No need for 2 scans! I have done it for years!!

I had a lung scan on 7/10 and the CT calcium score on 7/11 (had to go to 2 different places). The lung scan showed a small nodule, only 2mm. It also mentioned arthritis in my shoulders. Nothing else reported.
I received the CT results on 7/21 showing a 3.9cm aneurysm on my ascending aorta, and slighted dilated main pulmonary artery at 3.1cm.
I find it interesting that the lung scan didn’t show either of these.
I’m pretty nervous, even though it’s non-emergent. My PCP put me on an statin, ordered a pulmonary function test and referred me to a cardiologist and said he’ll do an echo and continue to monitor it each year. The cardiologist can’t get me in until 9/18, so I’m just looking for support in the meantime.
I know this means a lifestyle change. I’m on day 3 without a cigarette and plan to cut down on dairy in a few weeks. I’ve already been sober for 19 years, so that’s one less thing to give up.