title: Management of patients with intramural hematoma involving the ascending aorta.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although intramural hematoma of the aorta is considered a unique pathologic entity, the management of intramural hematoma involving the ascending aorta (type A) has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to establish the optimal mode of management of type A intramural hematoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated patients with type A intramural hematoma as follows. Early operation was carried out only for patients with cardiac tamponade, impending rupture, or rupture. Other patients were treated medically, but patients with progression of intramural hematoma during medical follow-up had their treatment converted to surgery. From February 1992 to March 2001, a total of 33 patients with type A intramural hematoma were treated as described here. Patients were divided according to initial treatment into an early surgery group (n = 9) and a medical treatment group (n = 24). Clinical profiles and in-hospital and long-term survival rates were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the early surgery group, the medical treatment group was younger (64.2 +/- 7.0 years vs 71.7 +/- 8.5 years, P =.0319) and had a greater number of involved segments (3.6 +/- 0.6 vs 3.0 +/- 0.9, P =.0395). Eight patients in the medical treatment group were switched to surgery during follow-up because of progression of intramural hematoma. In-hospital mortality rates in the early surgery and medical groups were 11% and 5% (P =.477), respectively. Cumulative 1- and 2-year survivals were 89% and 89%, respectively, in the early surgery group, and 92% and 81%, respectively, in the medical group (P =.49).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that about 70% of type A intramural hematomas could be managed expectantly, and more than 50% could be treated medically alone.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sendai City Medical Center, Japan. singe@openhp.or.jp
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moizumi
authors.forename: Tsunehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Naotaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Motoyoshi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tabayashi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006406:Hematoma / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome