Two of the most common causes of thoracic aorta aneurysm are Marfan’s syndrome and atherosclerosis. In some centers, a prior history of dissection with aneurysmal dilation is the most common cause of surgical repair.

Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.

• Aortic dissection

• Aortic dissection^[1]
• Atherosclerosis
• Marfan’s syndrome

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Aortic dissection
• Aortic stenosis
• Aortitis
• Aortic valve replacement
• Arterial tortuosity syndrome
• Atherosclerosis
• Bacterial infection, often following valvular endocarditis

1. Salmonella
2. Staphylococcus aureus
3. Staphylococcus epidermidis
4. Streptococcus
5. Tuberculosis

• Behcet’s disease
• Bicuspid aortic valve
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections
• Giant cell arteritis
• Loeys-Dietz syndrome
• Marfan’s syndrome
• Quaternary syphilis
• Reactive arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatoid vasculitis
• Septic embolism
• Systemic hypertension
• Takayasu’s arteritis
• Temporal arteritis
• Traumatic – Sudden deceleration
• Turner’s syndrome
• Wegener’s granulomatosis

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Atherosclerosis
• Bacterial infection, often following valvular endocarditis

1. Staphylococcus aureus^[2]
2. Staphylococcus epidermidis
3. Salmonella
4. Streptococcus
5. Tuberculosis^[3]

• Behcet’s disease^[4]
• Giant cell arteritis^[5]
• Previous injury to the aorta such as an aortic dissection
• Syphilis^[6]
• Takayasu’s arteritis^[7]
• Traumatic – sudden deceleration

• Familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections^[8]
• Bicuspid aortic valve with post-stenotic dilation due to turbulence^[9]

• Marfan’s syndrome: Aortic root dilation with or without associated aortic regurgitation occurs in 75%-80% of marfan’s patients^[10].
• Loeys-Dietz syndrome^[11]
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Turner’s syndrome^[12]