An aneurysm that becomes infected with bacteria is known as what?

An aneurysm that becomes infected with bacteria is known as what?

• A. Berry aneurysm
• B. True aneurysm
• C. Mycotic aneurysm
• D. Fusiform aneurysm

Answer: (C)

An aneurysm that becomes infected with bacteria is called a mycotic aneurysm. The key idea here is that the wall of the artery is damaged by an infectious process, not just by hemodynamic dilation. Bacteremia or septic emboli can seed the arterial wall, weakening it and creating a dilated, irregular, and often rupture-prone segment. The term is historical and doesn’t require a fungal infection—bacteria are the usual culprits. This differs from a berry aneurysm, which is a small, saccular outpouching at a branch point that isn’t caused by infection. A true aneurysm involves all layers of the vessel wall, while a fusiform aneurysm is a circumferential, spindle-shaped dilation along a segment of the artery. The infectious etiology is what sets a mycotic aneurysm apart.

An aneurysm that becomes infected with bacteria is called a mycotic aneurysm. The key idea here is that the wall of the artery is damaged by an infectious process, not just by hemodynamic dilation. Bacteremia or septic emboli can seed the arterial wall, weakening it and creating a dilated, irregular, and often rupture-prone segment. The term is historical and doesn’t require a fungal infection—bacteria are the usual culprits.

This differs from a berry aneurysm, which is a small, saccular outpouching at a branch point that isn’t caused by infection. A true aneurysm involves all layers of the vessel wall, while a fusiform aneurysm is a circumferential, spindle-shaped dilation along a segment of the artery. The infectious etiology is what sets a mycotic aneurysm apart.