Quote:I have nothing to do for 30 minutes.  Type it up.

 

Got distracted. So this diagnosis is only made on radiologic studies. No other way to do so, unless you cut someone open. 

 

1. There is no definite agreement amongst surgeons, radiologists and others about the diameter of an aorta that equals "enlarged". There is a general agreement of an aneurysm at 4 inches, but no one used that word. For enlarged, some use 3", some use 3.5", etc. So some doctors may consider his test as normal. 

 

2. The "measurements" only take into the outside factor of gender. For example, the same measurement guidelines are used by doctors for 5 ft, 3 inch guy and a 6 ft, 5 inch guy. Does that make much sense? Not really. But those factors are not really considered because no one has done the research studies to see how they affect things. 

 

3. Depending on the part of the aorta they are worried about, the way the test is done is of major importance. If it done at the different parts of the heart beat or breathing cycle, you can get different measurements or even introduce motion (blur) into what you are seeing. These could make the aorta appear larger than it actually is. However, you only have 1 test done at 1 time, so you have to make your best guess on that. This is especially true of a college athlete who likely has no prior studies to compare. That is why they said "monitored". That just means they will repeat the scan in 6 months (most likely) or maybe a year to make sure it is enlarged and then to see if it remains stable.

 

Say it is enlarged...

 

Most people with an enlarged aorta have no issues because it stays stable. There is a small increased risk of it continuing to enlarge to become an aneurysm, but unless you have a major genetic condition the rate and timing for that is extremely unknown. If it gets too big you need surgery, but not everyone requires it. But that is a more long term issue, as in 15-25 years down the line.

 

The other major risk of a truly aneurysmal aorta is that there is a risk of an aortic injury in a traumatic situation. For most people this would be a car accident, though some say NFL football plays/tackles can be as violent. So is there some increased risk of an aortic injury if it is enlarged, but remember there is some increased risk for the average person involved in those plays/accidents. For a slightly enlarged aorta, the increased risk is not really quantified.

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