The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It leaves the heart and forms an arch. The arch’s downward portion, called the descending aorta, is connected to a network of arteries that supplies ...

An ascending or aortic arch aneurysm refers to ballooning out of the aorta which causes aortic wall weakening. The aortic wall may continue to expand or may remain unchanged, but close surveillance is ...

An aortic dissection is a tear in one of the layers of the aorta. The aorta is your body’s largest blood vessel. Your aorta is made up of three layers. When a hole or tear forms in one of these layers ...

Thoracic aortic dissection occurs when the intima of the aorta becomes compromised and “tears” or “dissects” a new layer that fills with blood between the intima and the media. This “false lumen” can ...

Ascending aortic aneurysms are a subtype of thoracic aneurysms, which occur in the chest area. They affect thousands of Americans annually and can be life threatening if not monitored. An aneurysm is ...

A ruptured ascending aortic aneurysm -- the reported cause of death of American soccer writer Grant Wahl -- is a rare but deadly medical condition. "Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, ...

The aorta carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the body. It is the largest artery in the body, measuring more than 1 inch across in some places. Any blockage or ...

Your aorta is a tube-like structure that resembles a candy cane. The thoracoabdominal aorta starts after the curve of the cane and extends past the arteries that deliver blood to the stomach, ...

An ascending aortic aneurysm occurs when the aortic wall becomes weakened and enlarges. Many causes exist including atherosclerosis, hypertension and connective tissue disorders. There are no specific ...