My daughter is 48 years old and has a enlarged aorta.

[gaylebob]

The dr has told me that by looking at the xray I have an enlarged aorta.   What does this mean? Is this life threatning?  What is tx for this?

[nickppatel]

It means your aorta is enlarged, perhaps severely.  Yes, this can be life-threatening, because if it gets too big, it can burst.

In addition to what kenkeith said, I believe an aneurysm detected on x-ray is going to be quite large.  Usually, I believe that smaller enlargements or aneurysms tend not to show up on x-ray and have to be visualized using echocardiogram or CT or MRI.  

You need to follow up with a CT or MRI and get a precise measurement and take it from there.  If the aortic enlargement is in the root area, and it's not yet too big, then consider taking ARB drugs in large doses (with doctor's permission) to reduce the aortic size (see my posts on this topic my clicking on my screenname).  

If your doctor blows you off, GET A SECOND OPINION, third opinion, etc. until you find a cardiologist who will do a proper imaging study to get the exact size of the aorta.

Send me a private msg if you have any further questions.

[kenkeith]

Usually, an aorta less than 4.0cm is not considered of any medical significance other than wait and watch and that size or greater is medically termed an aneursym.  If the aorta size is greater than 5.0cm, then an operation may be a consideration. Significant size has a variation based on gender, body size, etc.

Treatment would be to control blood pressure and avoid any heavy lifting.