User:Mr. Ibrahem/Aortic rupture
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aortic rupture is break through the entire wall of the aorta, the largest artery in the body.[4] Symptoms may include sudden and severe abdominal pain, chest pain, or back pain.[1][2] Other symptoms may include lightheadedness, shortness of breath, or trouble swallowing.[1][5]
Mr. Ibrahem/Aortic rupture | |
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Other names | Aortic transection |
Segments of the aorta, with the thoracic aorta in green. | |
Specialty | Vascular surgery, cardiac surgery |
Symptoms | Abdominal pain, chest pain, back pain, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing[1][2] |
Usual onset | Sudden[2] |
Causes | Aortic aneurysm, major trauma[1] |
Treatment | Surgery[1] |
Prognosis | Poor[1] |
Deaths | 80 to 90% of cases[3][2] |
Causes include trauma (either blunt or penetrating) or a complication of an aortic aneurysm (either abdominal or thoracic).[1] Diagnosis is by medical imaging, typically CT scan.[1] It is distinct from aortic dissection, which is a tear through only the inner wall of the aorta.[6]
Prevention includes the repair of aneurysms before rupture occurs.[7] Once rupture has occurred, for a chance of survival, immediate surgery is required.[1] Most (85%) die immediately, while of those who survive to hospital, about 30% subsequently die despite treatment.[1][3]
Aortic rupture is relatively common.[3] It contributes to up to 20% of deaths due to motor vehicle collisions.[1] Early descriptions date back to 1557 by Andreas Vesalius.[3]