AORTIC ARCH ANEURYSM

Course overview

AN ISOLATED AORTIC ARCH ANEURYSM REPRESENTS THE LESS FREQUENT CAUSE OF THORACIC AORTIC ANEURYSMS BUT POSES A SIGNIFICANT SURGICAL CHALLENGE AS IT INVOLVES THE VESSELS SUPPLYING TO THE HEAD, NECK, AND UPPER LIMBS. FOUND IN ASSOCIATION WITH ATHEROSCLEROSIS, ANEURYSM OF THE AORTIC ARCH OFTEN REMAINS CLINICALLY SILENT AND IS COMPLICATED BY CEREBRAL INJURY AND CATASTROPHIC VASCULAR EVENTS. TO AVOID THE HIGH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATIONS OF THIS CONDITION, IT MUST BE PROMPTLY DIAGNOSED, MONITORED, AND TREATED TIMELY. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF A PATIENT WITH AORTIC ARCH ANEURYSM AND REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND AVAILABLE TREATMENT OPTIONS AND ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.