Your doctor can diagnose a thoracic aortic aneurysm with tests such as an X-ray, an echocardiogram, CT scan, or ultrasound. It's also often monitored on an annual basis to assess for growth.
If he finds a bulge, and it’s small, he might want to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get bigger and become a problem later. If the aneurysm is large, you might need surgery.