Atherosclerotic Aneurysm

  • Atherosclerotic Aneurysms are aneurysms caused by atherosclerosis and typically occur in the abdominal aorta, thus generating abdominal aortic aneurysms. Rarely, atherosclerotic aneurysms can occur in the common iliac arteries, aortic arch, or descending thoracic aorta.
  • Inflammation associated with atherosclerosis leads to destruction, thinning and thus weakening of vascular wall, specifically the tunica media, which leads to aneurysmal dilation of the vessel. However, other factors are likely to play a role as aneurysmal dilation due to atherosclerosis does appear to display some familial clustering. It is possible that certain allelic variants of structural proteins within the arterial wall may be weaker or less able to resist inflammatory damage.