Aortic aneurysms: A brief overview and dental implications

An aortic aneurysm is a dilatation of a segment of the aorta. Although it was previously believed that aneurysms were a form of atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysmal disease is now recognized as a distinct degenerative process involving all layers of the vessel wall. During routine dissection of the abdominal region of a 73-year-old female donor in the Gross Anatomy laboratory, first year dental students encountered an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The pathology was dissected in detail and documented with photographs. A literature review was carried out to study the condition and understand the clinical implications, with special emphasis on the implications of management in a dental setting.