title: Aortic dissection type A in alpine skiers.
abstract: METHODS
  140 patients with aortic dissection type A were admitted for cardiac surgery. Seventy-seven patients experienced their dissection in the winter season (from November to April). We analyzed cases of ascending aortic dissection associated with alpine skiing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 17 patients we found skiing-related aortic dissections. Skiers were taller (180 (172-200) cm versus 175 (157-191) cm, P = 0.008) and heavier (90 (68-125) kg versus 80 (45-110) kg, P = 0.002) than nonskiers. An extension of aortic dissection into the aortic arch, the descending thoracic aorta, and the abdominal aorta was found in 91%, 74%, and 69%, respectively, with no significant difference between skiers and nonskiers. Skiers experienced RCA ostium dissection requiring CABG in 17.6% while this was true for 5% of nonskiers (P = 0.086). Hospital mortality of skiers was 6% versus 13% in nonskiers (P = 0.399). The skiers live at an altitude of 170 (0-853) m.a.s.l. and experience their dissection at 1602 (1185-3105; P < 0.001) m.a.s.l. In 82% symptom start was during recreational skiing without any trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Skiing associated aortic dissection type A is usually nontraumatic. The persons affected live at low altitudes and practice an outdoor sport at unusual high altitude at cold temperatures. Postoperative outcome is good.
authors: Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. thomas.schachner@i-med.ac.at
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Schachner
authors: Nikolaus
authors: N
authors: Fischler
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Dumfarth
authors: Nikolaos
authors: N
authors: Bonaros
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Krapf
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Schobersberger
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Grimm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000531:Altitude; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012865:Skiing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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