title: Genetic testing in aortic aneurysm disease: CON.
abstract: Surgery on the thoracic aorta is challenging, dangerous, intricate, complex, demanding, and tremendously rewarding. Yet, we need to raise our understanding of aortic disease to a higher plane. Linkage analysis and genetic sequencing techniques have been used to understand thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection. Although these genetic breakthroughs are exciting and important, this article espouses the CON point of view that routine genetic testing is not practical or clinically essential at the present time.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital, PO Box 208039, New Haven, CT 06520-8039, USA. john.elefteriades@yale.edu
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Elefteriades
mesh_terms: D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004247:DNA