What causes a thoracic aortic aneurysm?
TAA happens when spots in the walls of the aorta become weak and the pressure inside it increases. The following are possible causes of TAA: • Abnormal development: This means that your aorta may not have grown normally, such as in a bicuspid aortic valve. A bicuspid aortic valve has only two cusps (flaps), instead of the normal three. This causes the blood to flow back to the heart and increases pressure. • Aortic dissection: Aortic dissection is a tear in the aorta. This causes blood to flow in between the layers of the aorta’s wall. • Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries. It usually occurs when fatty deposits, called plaques, build up along the walls of your arteries. • Inflammation: The walls of the aorta may become inflamed (swollen) due to certain inflammatory diseases, such as Takayasu’s arteritis. It may also be as a result of an infection, such as syphilis. With syphilis, parts of the aorta’s wall gets damaged and weakens. • Loss of elasticity: Cys
