Question

The most common cause of abdominal aortic aneurysm is:

• A. Atherosclerosis
• B. Trauma
• C. Syphilis
• D. Vasculitis

Hint:

Think older smoker with an infrarenal aorta worn down by the same plaque that clogs arteries.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Match each cause to where and how it damages the aorta. The abdominal aortic aneurysm sits in the infrarenal aorta and turns up in older smokers with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the exact crowd that gets atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic disease weakens the wall by destroying its elastin and muscle, so the vessel slowly balloons out, making it the leading cause. The other choices each fail a test. Trauma tends to produce a false aneurysm rather than a true degenerative AAA and is rare. Syphilis has a signature: it strikes the ascending thoracic aorta, not the belly. Vasculitis is an unusual contributor. So by location, risk factors, and mechanism, atherosclerosis is the answer.\[\boxed{\text{Atherosclerosis}}\]