Quotation from: Manual of Surgery

Written by: Alexander Miles and Alexis Thomson


Syphilis plays an important part in the production of aneurysm, probably
by predisposing the patient to arterio-sclerosis and atheroma, and
inducing an increase in the vascular tension in the peripheral vessels,
from loss of elasticity of the vessel wall and narrowing of the lumen as
a result of syphilitic arteritis. It is a striking fact that aneurysm is
seldom met with in women who have not suffered from syphilis.


#Varieties--Fusiform Aneurysm.#--When the _whole circumference_ of an
artery has been weakened, the tension of the blood causes the walls to
dilate uniformly, so that a fusiform or tubular aneurysm results. All
the coats of the vessel are stretched and form the sac of the aneurysm,
and the affected portion is not only dilated but is also increased in
length. This form is chiefly met with in the arch of the aorta, but may
occur in any of the main arterial trunks. As the sac of the aneurysm
includes all three coats, and as the inner and outer coats are usually
thickened by the deposit in them of connective tissue, this variety
increases in size slowly and seldom gives rise to urgent symptoms.

PREVIOUS GROUP HOME SITE HOME NEXT
Part of the RabbitHoleResearch Project
Change Tag: ~~ 0 ~~