Medical Questions » Radiology Questions » Question No. 838
| Question: | I am 66 years old and the report on a recent X-ray of my chest says that ' the aorta is unfolded' . Could you please explain in a good old-fashioned way what takes place with this complaint, and are there any exercises that could help? |
| Answer: | There is absolutely no reason for you to be concerned about this problem, and there is no need to undertake any specific exercises, as I will explain.
The aorta is the main artery of the body and is about 2 cm across. It starts from the top of the heart, bends (or folds) over, and then runs down the back of the chest and belly along the inside of the backbone. It looks like an upside down ' J- Just below your umbilicus (tummy button) it splits into two slightly smaller arteries that continue through the pelvis and down each leg.
In an X-ray of the chest, the heart and aorta can be seen quite clearly. As you age, the bend in the aorta as it curls around from the top of the heart to run down the back of the chest becomes a less sharp bend. The aorta does not fold over on itself as much as ir did before, and so in medical jargon, rhe aorta is said to be ' unfolded' .
In your case it is a sign that you are no longer 21, and nothing more. In some people the aorta is unfolded and dilated by an aneurysm, which is quite a serious condition, but this can usually be seen on the X-ray and there is no sign that this was the case with you.
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