Large area of the false lumen favors secondary dilatation of the aorta after acute type A aortic dissection.
BACKGROUND
Since 1994 patients with acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) are followed-up in our outpatient clinic. Early diagnosis of secondary dilatation of the diseased aorta is crucial to reduce late mortality in these patients. Aim of the present study is to asses the impact of a large volume in the false lumen of the diseased downstream aorta on secondary dilatation.


RESULTS
134 patients of 264 patients who underwent surgery for AADA (between January 1994 and June 2003) are followed-up at our outpatient clinic since 1994. 84 patients (62.7%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Areas of the true and the false lumens of the aorta were analyzed and a logistic regression was calculated at 5 levels of the aorta for each patient. Patients were divided in 3 groups: group 1 included 34 patients (40.5%) without progression, group 2 had 34 patients (40.5%) with slight progression, and group 3 had 16 patients (19.0%) with important progression, requiring surgery in all patients. In 87.5% of the patients the area of the original lumen was <0% in group 3, compared with 11.8% in group 2 and 8.8% in group 1 in relation to the total area of the aorta 6 months after surgery (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
A large false lumen, with an area of the true lumen <30% 6 months after surgery, is the strongest predictor for secondary dilatation of the diseased downstream aorta.
Immer
Franz F
FF
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland. franzimmer@yahoo.de
Krähenbühl
Eva
E
Hagen
Urs
U
Stalder
Mario
M
Berdat
Pascal A
PA
Eckstein
Friedrich S
FS
Schmidli
Jürg
J
Carrel
Thierry P
TP
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000886:Anthropometry; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001027:Aortography; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed