After a quick examination and ultrasound, it was diagnosed that she was suffering from an abdominal aortic aneurysm with a serious complication. The aortic aneurysm had ruptured into the stomach because of which the patient was having pain and vomiting blood.

An aneurysm means an area of a localised widening (dilation) of a blood vessel. An aortic aneurysm involves the aorta, one of the large arteries that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

The most common cause of aortic aneurysms is hardening of the arteries through the accumulation of fatty deposits and other substances in the arteries called arteriosclerosis.

There are various other lifestyle causes that lead to an aortic aneurysm. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing an abdominal aortic aneurysm and the chance of aneurysm rupture (a life-threatening complication of abdominal aneurysm) is also more common among active smokers. Hypertension and diabetes are other medical causes that can lead to this disorder.

There is also a familial tendency to develop abdominal aortic aneurysm. People with close family members suffering from abdominal aortic aneurysm are at higher risk of developing this disease.

Though this disease is related to old age, individuals with family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm also tend to develop the aneurysms at younger age and have a higher tendency to suffer aneurysm rupture than individuals without family history.

In rare cases, aortic aneurysm may also be caused by an infection, inflammation (vasculitis) or traumatic injury that weakens a section of the aorta wall.