Aortic Aneurysm in Children and Adolescents

Aortic aneurysm involves the aorta which is one of the large arteries through which blood passes from the heart to the rest of the body. Aortic aneurysm is a relatively common find‐ ing in the elderly patients because of aging, hypertension, or atherosclerosis, but it is rarely seen in childhood. In the adult population, the incidence of aortic aneurysm has been esti‐ mated to be 5.9 cases per 100000 person-years. However, there are no real data about the incidence of aortic aneurysm in childhood [1]. Aortic aneurysm is mostly seen in the ascend‐ ing aorta, but it may also be seen in the descending aorta and /or aortic branches [2, 3]. Al‐ though it is rare, aortic aneurysm can be important cause of mortality in children and adolescents. Aortic aneurysm may be related to hereditary diseases (Marfan syndrome, Loeys –Dietz syndrome, Ehler-Danlos syndrome, Arterial Tortuosity Syndrome, Cutis laxa syndrome, Alagille syndrome, and Noonan Syndrome), or non genetic diseases (bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of aorta, tetralogy of Fallot, and aortitis syndromes). In this review, causes, clinical findings, diagnostic methods, and treatment modalities of aortic aneurysm in children and adolescents have been discussed.