Bulge in aorta can be monitored

Dear Dr. Gott: Please provide information on abdominal aneurysms.

Dear Reader: As we age, the linings of our arteries lose their elasticity and strength, sometimes leading to a ballooning out of a weak portion of an artery (aneurysm). Often associated with hypertension (which accentuates stretching of the arterial wall), these aneurysms are not a hazard to health – unless the arterial wall stretches to the point where leakage of blood or actual rupture take place.

The severity of the arterial bulge (and its progression) can be monitored by X-rays or ultrasound examinations. When, and if, the aneurysm reaches a critical size, which depends on the diameter of the artery itself, the weakened portion must be surgically removed and a nylon prosthesis put in its place.

In general, an abdominal aneurysm is a bulge somewhere in the aorta as it passes from the chest to the legs.

This usually produces no symptoms, can be felt by a physician during an examination and is confirmed by an ultrasound test. Ordinarily, this situation can, as I mentioned, be periodically monitored; an operation is required only if the aneurysm enlarges.

Dear Dr. Gott: I’ve been diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica. Can you please tell me more about this painful ailment? What causes it and when will it go away?

Dear Reader: This is considered to be an auto-immune disease, in which people become allergic to their own normal tissues – in this case, muscles and arteries.

Polymyalgia rheumatica has a predilection for females over the age of 50. It causes muscle pain and stiffness, malaise, fever, depression and weight loss. It may affect the temporal artery (near the ear), leading to headache and visual disturbances. The diagnosis is made by blood tests or – on occasion – biopsy.

The disease can be successfully treated with prednisone, a steroid drug. If the temporal artery is involved, drug therapy may have to be continued for months to avoid blindness.

Once symptoms have abated and the blood tests are normal, the prednisone can be stopped. However, recurrences are common and require additional courses of prednisone.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Managing Chronic Pain.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.