What is aortitis?
Aortitis is inflammation of the aorta (the largest artery in the body).
Aortitis may be formed both in isolation and with inflammation of other blood vessels (this condition is called systemic vasculitis in medical language).
Due to the inflammatory process on the aorta, the risk of aorta expansion increases significantly, therefore, the formation of aortic aneurysm or aortic stenosis is quite expected.
The following symptoms may occur:
- Pain in the chest;
- Abdominal pain;
- Back pain;
- Headache;
- Changes related to vision;
- Fever;
- Shortness of breath;
- Swelling of legs;
- Pain in the limbs;
- Symptoms characteristic of inflammation (lack of energy, weight loss, loss of appetite) and others.
Examples of complicated clinical cases of aortitis are:
- Kidney failure;
- Stroke;
- Heart attack (infarction);
- Heart failure;
- Rupture of the aorta.
It is quite possible that aortitis develops as part of systemic vasculitis or is associated with another inflammatory disease. Sometimes aortitis is caused by infections.
Treatment includes either drug therapy, surgery, or both.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24264-aortitis
