What is syphilis aneurysm?
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What is syphilis aneurysm?
Syphilitic Aneurysms arise during tertiary syphilis due to chronic inflammation in the tunica adventitia of large elastic arteries, particularly the aorta. The inflammatory response to the spirochetes causes an obliterative endarteritis of the vaso vasorum, leading to a loss of blood supply to the elastic tunica media.
What is the medical name for aortic aneurysm?
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs when the large blood vessel (the aorta) that supplies blood to the abdomen, pelvis and legs becomes weakened, enlarged or balloons outward.
What does aortitis mean?
Overview. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It rises from the heart’s left ventricle (the major chamber that pumps blood out of the heart) and is filled with oxygen-rich blood that travels throughout the body. When this artery becomes inflamed, the condition is known as aortitis.
Does syphilis cause aortic aneurysm?
In non-treated syphilis, aortitis occurs in over 70% of cases, with such symptoms as aortic regurgitation, stenosis, and aortic aneurysm occurring in up to 15% of patients [2, 5–7]. Classically, syphilitic aneurysms occur in 90% of cases on the thoracic aorta, and in 10% in the abdominal aorta [3, 7–9].
Can tertiary syphilis cause an aneurysm?
Overall, tertiary syphilis is a rare cause of aortic aneurysms.
What is another name for aneurysm?
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall….
| Aneurysm | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Aneurism |
| Angiography of an aneurysm in a brain artery. The aneurysm is the large bulge in the center of the image. | |
| Specialty | Vascular surgery |
What are the types of aortic aneurysms?
There are three types of aneurysms based on their location on the aorta: thoracic, abdominal, and thoracoabdominal.
What is syphilitic Aortitis?
Syphilitic aortitis is inflammation of the aorta associated with the tertiary stage of syphilis infection. SA begins as inflammation of the outermost layer of the blood vessel, including the blood vessels that supply the aorta itself with blood, the vasa vasorum.
How do you get aortitis?
Aortitis is the all-encompassing term ascribed to inflammation of the aorta. The most common causes of aortitis are the large vessel vasculitides, giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis, although it is also associated with several other rheumatologic diseases.
How does syphilis affect the heart?
Coronary stenosis caused by syphilis can be associated with the thickening of the aortic wall; about 26% of patients with arteritis have coronary artery involvement. In rare cases, this coronary artery disease can lead to AMI. Coronary stenosis caused by syphilis should be considered an aortic disease.
How does syphilis damage the heart?
In the late stages of the disease, there may be syphilitic involvement of the heart, confined almost purely to the aorta and aortic valve. A particularly severe form of aortic insufficiency may develop, with subsequent dilation and enlargement of the heart and, eventually, heart failure.
What kind of heart problems does syphilis cause?
What are the symptoms of tertiary syphilis?
Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, weight loss, hair loss, and headache. More specifically, there may be generalized lymph node enlargement, as well as a maculopapular rash affecting the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, which is characterized by small bumps that can be raised or flat.
When does syphilis affect the heart?
Cardiovascular syphilis usually begins within 5 to 10 years of the initial infection but may not be manifested clinically until 20 to 30 years later. Cardiovascular syphilis does not occur after congenital infection, a phenomenon that remains unexplained.
What is the root word of aneurysm?
The etymology and origins of the word aneurysm may be traced in the ancient Greek language. It derives from the word ἀνεύρυσμα (aneurysma), which means “a widening,” “an opening.”
Is aortitis serious?
When aortitis occurs in isolation without an underlying cause, it is called “isolated aortitis.” Aortitis is a serious condition that can lead to pain and weakness of the arms and legs, kidney failure, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack. Most symptoms of aortitis are associated with the underlying disease.
