Collaboration between the coroner and emergency physicians: efforts to improve outcomes from aortic dissection.

Evolving Experience of Percutaneous Management of Type B Aortic Dissection

Outcome of Endovascular Treatment of Acute Type B Aortic Dissection

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in most Western societies and is increasing steadily in many developing countries. Aortic diseases constitute an emerging share of the burden. New diagnostic imaging modalities, longer life expectancy in general, longer exposure to elevated blood pressure, and the proliferation of modern noninvasive imaging modalities have all contributed to the growing awareness of acute and chronic aortic syndromes. Despite recent progress in recognition of both the epidemiological problem and diagnostic and therapeutic advances, the cardiology community and the medical community in general are far from comfortable in understanding the spectrum of aortic syndromes and defining an optimal pathway to manage aortic diseases.1–13 This comprehensive review is organized in two parts, with a focus on the etiology, natural history, and classification (with vascular staging) of aortic wall disease in Part I and emphasis on therapeutic management and follow-up in Part II. Both parts may help to better integrate the complexities of acute aortic syndromes.

THORACOABDOMINAL AORTIC DISSECTION: ATYPICAL PRESENTATION AND MULTIORGAN DAMAGE

Acute Aortic Dissection With ST Segment Myocardial Infarction Following Masturbation.

Diagnosis of acute thoracic aortic dissection in the emergency department

Thoracic Aortic Dissection Associated with Marijuana Use.

2010 ACCF/AHA/AATS/ACR/ASA/SCA/SCAI/SIR/STS/SVM Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Thoracic Aortic Disease

By conventional imaging modalities, the discrimination between acute and chronic aortic dissection (AD) for surgical risk evaluation is not possible. However, acute and chronic stable AD potentially may be distinguished by detection of reparatory hypermetabolism in the lacerated aortic wall of acute AD using (18)F-FDG PET/CT. In this study, we analyzed the (18)F-FDG uptake in the aortic wall of acute and chronic stable AD. Eighteen patients with acute (n = 9), symptomatic progressive (n = 2), or known chronic stable (n = 7) type B AD underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Images were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively considering (18)F-FDG uptake patterns and the standardized uptake values (SUVs) of the aortic wall, dissection membrane, and luminal (18)F-FDG activity. The SUV ratio (maximum SUV in the aorta divided by mean SUV in the blood pool) was calculated to relativize individual luminal (18)F-FDG spillover effects. In contrast to chronic stable AD, all acute or acute progressive AD showed accentuated (18)F-FDG uptake at the injured aortic wall or dissection membrane. The maximum SUV of the dissection membrane or aortic wall was significantly higher (P = 0.02) in acute AD than in chronic stable AD. Thereby, SUV varied from 3.03 to 4.64 (average maximum SUV, 3.84 +/- 0.51) for the dissection membrane and from 2.22 to 4.60 (average maximum SUV, 2.94 +/- 0.81) for the aortic wall, with false-negative and false-positive outliers. The discrimination between acute and stable AD was improved significantly (P < 0.001), and false-positive or -negative outliers were eliminated, using the SUV ratio method. Our results indicate that (18)F-FDG PET/CT might be useful in differentiation of acute from chronic AD in clinically unclear cases. However, larger studies are needed to confirm our preliminary results.

Background: CTA has replaced angiography in both diagnosis and evaluation of aortic dissection. Most findings are associated with true and false lumens which account for the most important information in both diagnosis and management.&#x0D; Objective: To describe computed tomographic (CT) findings including types based on Stanford classification, true and false lumens, acute and chronic aortic dissections, relation to origins of aortic branches, complications and other related findings.&#x0D; Methods: Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) scans of one hundred and twenty patients with aortic dissection during 2007 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The findings indicating types, true and false lumens, acute and chronic, origination of aortic branches, complication and other related findings are categorized.&#x0D; Result: Most true lumens were smaller, having outer wall calcification. Most false lumens were larger, showing beak sign, cobweb sign, and intraluminal thrombi. However, the larger lumens could be true lumens as well as the smaller lumen could be a false lumen and outer wall calcification could be seen in a false lumen. The larger true lumens and the smaller false lumens with outer wall calcifications were more often found in chronic aortic dissection than acute aortic dissection. Both acute and chronic aortic dissections were more Stanford type B than type A. Complications included rupture, hemopericardium, hemothorax, hemomediastinum and distal organ infarction, which were more frequent in acute dissection. Intrathoracic complications were more commonly caused by type A acute dissection. Renal infarction was the most common complication in type B acute aortic dissection.&#x0D; Conclusion: Most CT fi ndings of aortic dissection in this study were typical. Atypical fi ndings were also found in both acute and chronic aortic dissections. Outer wall calcifi cations of false lumens in acute aortic dissection were found in 2 cases.

Background: CTA has replaced angiography in both diagnosis and evaluation of aortic dissection. Most findings are associated with true and false lumens which account for the most important information in both diagnosis and management. Objective: To describe computed tomographic (CT) findings including types based on Stanford classification, true and false lumens, acute and chronic aortic dissections, relation to origins of aortic branches, complications and other related findings. Methods: Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) scans of one hundred and twenty patients with aortic dissection during 2007 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The findings indicating types, true and false lumens, acute and chronic, origination of aortic branches, complication and other related findings are categorized. Result: Most true lumens were smaller, having outer wall calcification. Most false lumens were larger, showing beak sign, cobweb sign, and intraluminal thrombi. However, the larger lumens could be true lumens as well as the smaller lumen could be a false lumen and outer wall calcification could be seen in a false lumen. The larger true lumens and the smaller false lumens with outer wall calcifications were more often found in chronic aortic dissection than acute aortic dissection. Both acute and chronic aortic dissections were more Stanford type B than type A. Complications included rupture, hemopericardium, hemothorax, hemomediastinum and distal organ infarction, which were more frequent in acute dissection. Intrathoracic complications were more commonly caused by type A acute dissection. Renal infarction was the most common complication in type B acute aortic dissection. Conclusion: Most CT fi ndings of aortic dissection in this study were typical. Atypical fi ndings were also found in both acute and chronic aortic dissections. Outer wall calcifi cations of false lumens in acute aortic dissection were found in 2 cases.

UNUSUAL PRESENTATION OF AORTIC DISSECTION WITH RIGHT CALF PAIN

Background: Acute Aortic dissection is a critical etiology of chest pain with very high mortality. 1% to 2% of patients die per hour during the initial 24 to 48 hours. Case: A 62 year old lady with history of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, smoking and no pertinent family history presented with atypical chest pain. She remained hemodynamically stable with no discrepancy of BP between arms. Labs: troponin 0.64, 0.63 ng/ml. EKG: sinus bradycardia. Chest x-ray: no mediastinal widening or signs of aortic aneurysm. Coronary angiogram showed 20-30 % stenosis in left anterior descending and right coronary arteries. An aortogram showed dilated aortic root over 6 cm with aortic regurgitation. Decision-making: An emergent echocardiogram confirmed acute aortic regurgitation and dissection. CT angiogram showed DeBakey type I aortic dissection extending from aortic annulus to infra renal aorta, supra aortic great vessels, celiac axis and left renal artery. She had no signs of malperfusion syndrome. She was started on iv Esmolol and emergently airlifted to tertiary care facility for surgical repair. Intra operative TEE showed findings consistent with acute aortic dissection. She had successful modified Bentall procedure with replacement of aortic valve, aortic root, ascending aorta and hemi arch. She had excellent recovery and continues to do well at follow up visits in our clinic. Conclusion: An early diagnosis of acute aortic dissection requires high index of suspicion due to variable symptoms and clinical manifestations. DeBakey type I aortic dissection may have better chance of survival in the absence of malperfusion syndrome if treated early as in this case.

Aortic dissection carries a high mortality of up to 40% at the time of initial dissection and an additional 1% per hour the dissection is untreated. Patients with acute aortic dissection most commonly present with chest or back pain. Less frequently, it manifests without pain with predominant neurologic symptoms secondary to an acute stroke. We present the case of a 53-year-old male presenting with acute onset aphasia and right-sided weakness. Incidentally, CT angiography of his neck revealed a carotid artery dissection, which was found an extension of a Stanford type A acute aortic dissection resulting in a large vessel occlusion stroke. The patient's concomitant pathologies resulted in uncertainty as to the priority of management between the interventional neurology and cardiothoracic surgery services, ultimately resulting in the transfer of the patient to an aorta specialist at an outside facility. This case highlights several areas of difficulty in the management of patients with presenting with both large vessel occlusion stroke and acute aortic dissection and the need for consideration of acute aortic dissection in patients presenting with symptoms consistent with large vessel occlusion stroke. Optimal blood pressure control is unknown, as is the ideal timing of aortic repair and the potential for endovascular therapy for large vessel occlusion stroke in the setting of acute aortic dissection. Emergency physicians must rapidly engage with neurology, interventional neurology, and cardiothoracic surgery to determine appropriate interventions and timing of operative repair. The emergency physician must consider acute aortic dissection in patients presenting with signs and symptoms concerning for large vessel occlusion stroke, even if they have no complaint of chest pain, as administration of thrombolytics in these patients may be deadly.

In Search of Blood Tests for Thoracic Aortic Diseases