Prognosis of retrograde dissection from the descending to the ascending aorta.
BACKGROUND
Natural history of aortic dissection (AD) with intimal tear in the descending or abdominal aorta and retrograde extension into the ascending aorta (retrograde AD) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to elucidate medium-term prognosis of patients with retrograde AD.


RESULTS
Study population consisted of 109 patients with acute type A AD. There were 27 patients (25%) with retrograde AD and 82 patients (75%) with intimal tear in the ascending aorta (antegrade AD). In antegrade AD patients, 60 patients underwent surgery and 22 patients were treated medically. In retrograde AD patients, 14 patients showed localized crescentic high attenuation area along the ascending aortic wall without enhancement in computed tomography. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed complete thrombosis of false lumen (FL) in the ascending aorta (retrograde thrombosed). The remaining 13 patients showed incomplete or no thrombosis (retrograde nonthrombosed). All retrograde nonthrombosed AD patients underwent surgery except for 1 patient with stroke, whereas all retrograde thrombosed AD patients were treated medically. In-hospital mortality rate of retrograde AD patients was significantly lower than that of antegrade AD patients (15% versus 38%, P=0.027). The survival rates in retrograde AD patients were all 85% at 1, 2, and 5 years, which were significantly higher than those of antegrade AD patients (63%, 62%, and 57%, respectively)(P=0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with type A retrograde AD have better medium-term prognosis than patients with antegrade AD. Retrograde AD patients with thrombosed FL in the ascending aorta could be treated medically with timed surgical repair.
Kaji
Shuichiro
S
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan. skaji@kcgh.gr.jp
Akasaka
Takashi
T
Katayama
Minako
M
Yamamuro
Atsushi
A
Yamabe
Kenji
K
Tamita
Koichi
K
Akiyama
Maki
M
Watanabe
Nozomi
N
Tanemoto
Kazuo
K
Morioka
Shigefumi
S
Yoshida
Kiyoshi
K
D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed