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[toni10]

My husband just took a stress test which indicated a dialated ascending aorta.  We are scheduled for a CAT Scan tomorrow which should tell us a lot more.  A question I have is a dilated aorta the same as an anuerism?

[kenkeith]

It is an aneurism and the aorta is considered pathologically dilated if the diameters of the ascending aorta and the aortic root exceed the norms for a given age and body size.
For a reference a 50% increase over the normal diameter is considered aneurysmal dilatation. Such dilatation of the ascending aorta frequently leads to significant aortic valvular insufficiency, even in the presence of an otherwise normal valve.

As your doctor will tell you the dilated ascending aorta is at risk for spontaneous rupture or dissection. The magnitude of this risk is closely related to the size of the aorta and the underlying pathology of the aortic wall.  Hope this gives you some understanding and preparation to ask questions.