Aortic aneurysms are dilatations (or swellings) of the aorta,
which is the main artery from the heart supplying blood to the
body. They cost commonly occurain the abdoomen although they can
occurin the chest. . They do not cause symptoms usually until
they rupture, which is often fatal. They are investigated by
performing an abdominal ultrasound or CT scan. If there is an
aortic aneurysm, then there is a possibility that other arteries
can also have an aneurysm, most commonly involving the leg
artery behind the knee. The risk of rupture is directly related
to the maximum diameter, and treatment is advised when the
aneurysm reaches 5.5cm, as this is the size where the risk of
rupture overtakes the risk of treatment. The natural history of
aortic aneurysms is to slowly enlarge (about 3-5mm per year)
although they can remain static for years. Once an aneurysm is
diagnosed, then 6-monthly or annual scans should be performed to
monitor expansion rate. The aneurysm should be treated before it
ruptures, as the morta