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What is an Arterial Aneurysm?

By C. Martin
Updated: Mar 03, 2024

In medicine, an arterial aneurysm is an outpouching, or bulge, that develops in the wall of an artery. Arterial aneurysms occur in the arteries, which are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. These are much more common than venous aneurysms, similar bulges that occur in the veins, which carry blood towards the heart. The fact that arterial aneurysms are more common than venous aneurysms may be attributed to the significantly higher blood pressure that occurs in arteries than in veins.

An arterial aneurysm most commonly occurs in older people, especially men. High blood pressure correlates closely with an increased risk of aneurysms. The majority of aneurysms are small and asymptomatic, and do not result in any serious health problems.

The main threat posed by an arterial aneurysm is that the blood vessel may eventually rupture. If this occurs, then tissues that are supplied with blood by the affected artery will be starved of the nutrients and, critically, the oxygen that they need. Rupture usually only occurs when an aneurysm has become very large. Therefore, it is important that patients who possess an arterial aneurysm carefully manage their blood pressure, as high blood pressure increases the risk of an arterial aneurysm growing, and may ultimately lead to rupture.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are common aneurisms that often occur in older patients. Aortic aneurysms may also occur in the chest region, and these are called thoracic aortic aneurysms. Any kind of aortic aneurysm has the potential to be very serious, as a rupture can lead to massive, sometimes fatal, bleeding.

A popliteal artery aneurysm is another common type of aneurysm. This type of aneurysm is located at the back of the knee. Such aneurysms rarely rupture and are not usually considered life threatening, although in some rare cases loss of blood flow to parts of the leg may result in the development of gangrene, which may occasionally necessitate amputation of the limb. Aneurysms may also develop at other locations in the leg. A femoral artery aneurysm occurs in the groin region. As is the case with most aneurysms that occur in the limbs, these rarely rupture.

If an arterial aneurysm occurs in the brain, rupture can result in very serious damage. This is not a common condition, and is normally detected in older patients, more commonly in women than in men. A brain aneurysm, such as a cerebral artery aneurysm or an intracranial aneurysm, may cause severe pain, loss of nervous sensation, blurred vision, vomiting, and strokes.

The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By irontoenail — On Dec 25, 2011

@croydon - Aneurysms aren't very common though, and there are lots of things you can do to make them less likely. Smoking puts you at higher risk, for example, and so does obesity. Alcoholism and high cholesterol also increase your chances.

And I've heard the biggest thing that causes them is copper deficiency.

I'm not sure how you can stop yourself from having copper deficiency, except maybe take some vitamins and make sure you eat a wide range of foods.

And they can often do corrective surgery on it even if you do have one.

Honestly, it's like anything else. We could each be hit by a bus tomorrow and it's as likely as suffering from an arterial aneurysm.

By croydon — On Dec 24, 2011

@pastanaga - I'm not sure if it actually involves "eroded" tissue or just weakened tissue. Since I know they have "true aneurysms" which involve all the layers of the artery, and "false aneurysms" which is when a bunch of blood escapes the blood vessel and just looks like a balloon because it's held in place by the surrounding tissue.

I imagine if it was eroded tissue, some of the layers of the artery might be missing, but we were never told that in class.

At any rate, the whole idea is quite scary to me. The thought that at any moment a blood vessel might give way in my head or somewhere else and cause all kinds of damage, if not kill me, and there's not much anyone can do about it... that's a scary thought.

By pastanaga — On Dec 23, 2011

I've heard that a brain aneurysm can sit in your brain for your whole life and you not realize it's there until either they detect it (usually while looking for something else) or it ruptures.

I'm actually surprised that arterial aneurysms are so much more common than venous ones though, as arteries are so much thicker than veins.

But, I guess the pressure can erode them more quickly even if they are thicker and more muscular.

I guess they are much more dangerous as well, since the blood flows through them that much quicker and with more force. If an aneurysm ruptured in a vein you'd have much more time to stop the blood flow.

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