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What Is an Aortic Aneurysm?

An aneurysm (AN-yer-iz-im) is a bulge in a blood vessel. It happens because there's a weak spot in the blood vessel wall. An aortic aneurysm is in the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the body. This artery is called the aorta (ay-OR-tuh).

What Happens in an Aortic Aneurysm?

When a child has an aortic aneurysm, blood flowing through the aorta pushes on the weak spot in the wall. This makes the aorta bulge out. Sometimes the weak spot bulges out so much it gets very fragile. Like a balloon that's blown up too much, the aorta can burst.