title: Aortic root ectasia in patients with acromegaly: experience at a single center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acromegaly is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, and increased aortic root diameter has been recently described in the literature as a possible feature of acromegalic cardiomyopathy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the aortic root diameter and the prevalence of aortic ectasia in acromegalic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper presents a transversal analysis of 42 acromegalic patients by Doppler echocardiogram and comparison with 42 age, sex, body surface area and hypertension matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean aortic root diameter at the level of the aortic leaflets was increased in acromegalic patients when compared to controls (3·4 ± 0·5 vs 2·9 ± 0·4 cm, respectively, P < 0·0001). The aortic root diameter was significantly greater in men than in women (3·6 ± 0·6 cm vs 3·2 ± 0·4 cm, respectively, P = 0·004), and the left ventricular mass index was positively correlated with the diameter of the aorta (r = 0·37, P = 0·01). Using a cut-off point ≥ 3·8 cm, an aortic ectasia prevalence of 26·1 vs 2·3% was found in acromegalic patients and controls, respectively (P = 0·002). Only acromegaly was associated with aortic ectasia (P = 0·01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The aortic root diameter was higher, and the prevalence of aortic ectasia was more common in acromegalic patients than in controls. In addition, only acromegalic disease was associated with aortic ectasia, suggesting the direct effects of GH and insulin-like growth factor-I excess on the cardiovascular system.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Ferri
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Casini
authors.forename: Leonardo Vieira
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Rosita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: Rodrigo Fraguas
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Sérgio Salles
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Mônica Roberto
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gadelha
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged