2023-04-21 08:39:43
21 avril 2023
The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. When it comes to tear, the consequences can be deadly. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, we explain everything to you.
The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. Connected to the heart, it carries blood to the various branches of the blood system which supply all the organs of the body. Like all vessels, the wall of the aorta is made up of three layers: inner, middle and outer. When the inner layer comes to tear, it is called aortic dissection. What is it regarding ? And why is it so serious?
When the tear occurs, an “entrance door”, through which the blood will enter, is created. The blood will flow through two paths. “The organs, first of all the heart or the brain, no longer receive enough blood », explains the Swiss Cardiology Foundation. ” The high pressure can even burst the outer layer of the aortic wall. »
There are several types of dissections:
- Type A which concerns the ascending aorta. This is the most urgent form because it presents a major risk of rupture;
- Type B involves the descending aorta.
From asymptomatic… to violent symptoms
« If the aortic dissection is done slowly it can evolve for a very long time without any symptoms and go unnoticed “, underlines the Swiss Foundation of Cardiology. This explains why it is very often detected by chanceat a review routine.
But in case of acute dissection occurs “ stabbing pain in the middle of the chest, radiating to the back and then down to the lower back », Comment the Hospices Civils de Lyon. This pain is brutal, intense and can even be accompanied by loss of consciousness. ” Other manifestations may be present such as hemiplegia, abdominal pain. These clinical manifestations are the consequence of a defect in the perfusion of organs such as the brain or the intestines.. »
High blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking…
In addition to genetic predispositions, there are several risk factors leading to aortic dissection. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis (loss of elasticity in the walls of the arteries), obesity or smoking. You have understood it, a healthy lifestyle allows you to considerably reduce the risks.
Finally, in terms of management, it depends on the type of dissection. Type A dissections require emergency surgery by opening the sternum and setting up extracorporeal circulation. Complications can be immediately fatal. Type B dissections, in the absence of immediate complications, can be treated with medication using anti-hypertensive treatments.
To note : aortic dissection is a serious disease whose mortality remains high. The risk of mortality increases by 1% per hour if the patient is not treated immediately.
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