Aortic dilation vs. Aortic Aneurysm: What's the difference?

Posted by scottbliz @scottbliz, Mar 1 9:36am

Can anyone tell me the difference between an aortic dilation and an aortic aneurysm. I was recently told I have an aortic dilation 3.9 and cardiologist said its like an aneurysm but its not one. He didn't think he would ever have to do anything but will CT it every 6 months. It was found when doing a dopler after a bout with AFIB.. I am 73 female and very active farm life

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moonboy | @moonboy | Mar 1 11:33am

You're going to be fine. They will do that surveillance CT every six months to keep an eye on it. They will see immediately if there are any significant change in size (dilation) that would require surgical intervention. I had an aortic dissection (complete tear) in 2015 at age 50 that was corrected by emergency open heart surgery. My aorta is currently at 4.2 and I am now 59 years old. You will be fine. Relax, go for long walks, don't smoke, enjoy your life. Mayo will tell you if you need to worry when they see a significant change in the size of your aorta. Peace.

mvpeglow | @mvpeglow | Mar 1 11:37am

I had a CT scan and I have an aneurism about 4.8 the Dr here said he can't do surgery !! To dangerous
Because of where it's located, so I need more
Information about what's going to happen
Next !

bitsygirl | @bitsygirl | Mar 2 2:34pm

So far as I know it’s based on size. See section 2.3 here: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001106

It says: They found that, relative to a control aortic diameter of ≤3.4 cm, a diameter of 4 cm, a diameter of 4.0 cm to 4.4 cm conferred an 89-fold increased risk of dissection, and a diameter of ≥4.5 cm conferred a 6000-fold increased risk (Figure 5), albeit these are only relative risk estimates and do not inform absolute risk. It follows that the increase in risk at 4.0 cm to 4.4 cm justifies defining an aorta of this size “dilated,” and the abrupt increase in risk at a diameter of ≥4.5 cm justifies defining an aorta of this size as an “aneurysm.”

I’m not a medical professional though so there may be conventions in the community that don’t follow this.

I have a dilation of 4.3cm. I think the absolute risk of problems at this size is pretty low. I try not to let the relative risk scare me unnecessarily. At 3.9 I’d guess your risk is pretty low. I just try to monitor my blood pressure regularly, keep it at low end of normal, and avoid straining/heavy exercise.

scottbliz | @scottbliz | Mar 3 7:13am

In reply to @bitsygirl "So far as I know it’s based on size. See section 2.3 here: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001106 It says:..." + (show)

Thank you. My BP average is 113/69 to 124/78 I'm actually pretty healthy. An occasional irregular heart rhythm but it regulates itself within a few hours.

bitsygirl | @bitsygirl | Mar 6 2:23pm

In reply to @scottbliz "Thank you. My BP average is 113/69 to 124/78 I'm actually pretty healthy. An occasional irregular..." + (show)

Wow. Your blood pressure sounds fantastic. I can get to those numbers, but only with medication and my diastolic tends to run a little higher. I've made all the lifestyle changes that are recommended and I even worked with a dietician for a while, but I still need the medication.

My heart has also started skipping a beat once in a while, but I didn't really think it was related to the aorta dilation. Hmmm ...

Good luck!

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