title: The role of false lumen size in prediction of in-hospital complications after acute type B aortic dissection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether false lumen size predicts in-hospital complications for acute type B aortic dissection.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The incidence of complications developing in patients with acute type B aortic dissection has been high. However, methods for recognizing high-risk patients have not been well-studied. We used quantitative analysis by computed tomography (CT) to predict the occurrence of in-hospital complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five consecutive patients with acute type B aortic dissection documented by CT imaging were analyzed. They were divided into groups, with and without in-hospital complications, and compared regarding maximal aortic diameter (MAD), maximal false lumen area (MFLA), minimal true lumen area (MTLA), branch-vessel involvement (BVI), and longitudinal length (LL) of aortic dissection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 31 patients with a stable course (group 1) and 24 patients who developed complications (group 2). The MFLA of group 2 was significantly larger than that of group 1 (group 1 vs. group 2=577.7+/-273.2 mm2 vs. 1,899.3+/-1,642.4 mm2, p<0.001). The BVI number was also higher in group 2 (group 1 vs. group 2=1.0+/-1.1 vs. 3.3+/-2.0, p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, only MFLA and BVI number were independent predictors of in-hospital complications. Patients with initial MFLA>or=922 mm2 or BVI number>or=2 showed a significantly higher incidence of in-hospital complications than the other patients (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large MFLA and a higher BVI number are powerful predictors of in-hospital complications after acute type B aortic dissection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Juhn-Cherng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Shih-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jan-Yow
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed