Aortic Dissection Type Research Articles

Aortic Dissection: Still the Great Deadly Masquerader- Case Report with Review of Literature

Acute aortic dissection is an extreme medico-surgical emergency. It’s often misdiagnosed, however it’s life-threatening condition that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. We describe here a case of fatal acute aortic dissection in a 60 year old man, without medical history, who was misdiagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and died from extensive aortic dissection type A of Stanford within 24 hours. We reviewed the literature of acute aortic dissection and we focused particularly on clinical presentations, importance of a history and a complete examination, outcomes and investigations of aortic dissection.

Visceral and renal malperfusion syndromes in acute aortic dissection type A: the fate of the branch vessel.

Malperfusion in acute aortic dissection is not uncommonly observed and associated with a highly significant increase in mortality and morbidity. Of the various malperfusion syndromes, visceral and renal involvement is the most challenging in terms of correct and timely diagnosis as well as the choice of management strategy. The aim of this study was to identify the pathology and associated fate of each visceral and renal vessel in acute type A dissections. Over a 12-year period, 167 consecutive patients with acute dissection type A extending into the thoracoabdominal aorta were included and radiographic images analyzed with a focus on individual branch vessel pathology and dependent organ perfusion. Sixty-five patients (39%) were diagnosed with radiological signs of malperfusion on the CT Images. Of those, 20% expired during the hospital stay, compared to 8% without malperfusion. The left renal artery was the most frequently affected by dissection (31%) or false lumen supply (28%). False lumen perfusion was more often associated with manifest malperfusion than an extension of the dissection flap into the branch vessel. During the study period, there was no preference of surgical procedure treating the malperfusion. Malperfusion of the visceral/renal branches of a dissected aorta represents a manifest indicator for postoperative mortality and morbidity. Neither clinical outcome, nor the fate of individual vessels can reliably be predicted prior to proximal reconstruction and thus, surgical strategy cannot generally be defined alone by radiological findings.

Aortic root reinforcement using the Florida sleeve technique in a patient with acute aortic dissection type A

Stanford type A acute aortic dissection is an inherently lethal condition that is regarded as a surgical emergency. The Bentall procedure is considered the gold standard for patients requiring aortic root replacement. However, this method can be technically difficult for less-experienced surgeons. Complications encountered after composite graft replacement include distortion of the proximal part of the coronary artery, bleeding from the conduit implant site, and reattached coronary artery origins caused in general by a consumption coagulopathy. In cases for which aortic valve preservation is not applicable and the root is not dissected or dilated, surgeons often opt for less complicated techniques like aortic valve and supracoronary ascending aortic replacement. Nevertheless, these patients carry a high risk of late aortic root dilatation and subsequent reoperation. The goal of aortic root reinforcement by the Florida sleeve technique is to encase the aortic root to prevent any further dilatation and perioperative bleeding.

Non-A non-B acute aortic dissection with entry tear in the aortic arch.

OBJECTIVESOur aim was to describe the outcomes of the latest treatment options of acute non-A non-B aortic dissection involving an entry tear in the aortic arch.METHODSIncluded were patients who presented between January 2001 and February 2020 with a non-A non-B aortic dissection involving the aortic arch but not the ascending aorta and with the most proximal entry tear located within the aortic arch between the innominate and left subclavian artery. Clinical data and operative details were retrieved from medical histories and surgical protocols. Preoperative, postoperative and follow-up computed tomography angiography scans were analysed.RESULTSWe analysed a total of 39 patients [median age 62 (52; 67) years, men 76.9%] with non-A non-B arch entry aortic dissections type. They underwent 15 thoracic endovascular aortic repairs, 20 frozen elephant trunk implantations, 1 hybrid arch replacement, or 1 conventional arch replacement. Two patients were managed conservatively. Twelve (31%) patients underwent emergent intervention, 12 (31%) were treated invasively within 2 weeks. Another 2 (5%) and 9 (23%) patients were treated 2 and 4 weeks after dissection occurred, respectively. Six (15%) patients presented with an impending aortic rupture, while 19 (49%) had at least one malperfused organ. Four patients (27%) died after thoracic endovascular aortic repair; the 30-day mortality following frozen elephant trunk was 0%.CONCLUSIONSNon-A non-B acute aortic dissection reveals a frequently complicated course requiring emergency intervention. The majority of patients required aortic arch repair within the first 2 weeks. Total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique seems to be low procedural mortality, and may become the treatment of choice in arch entry non-A non-B aortic dissection.

Type A aortic dissection is more aggressive in women.

The aim of this study was to evaluate gender differences in the pre- and postoperative course in patients with acute aortic dissection type A. Of all patients undergoing surgery from 2000 to 2020, data on symptoms at presentation, operative strategy and postoperative course were analyzed. Long-term follow-up was obtained through visits at our outpatient clinic or via telephone interviews. Out of 394 patients, 32% (n = 126) were female. Women suffered from aortic dissection type A at an older age (women 67.5 years vs men 57 years; P > 0.001) and experienced a more aggressive preoperative course leading to critical presentation or even lethal rupture [women 7.9% (n = 10) vs men 2.2% (n = 6); P = 0.008]. Chest pain as initial symptom was more common in men [women 59.5% (n = 75) vs men 73.5% (n = 197); P = 0.005]. Perfusion of the right carotid was impaired more often [women 22.5% (n = 27) vs men 13.7% (n = 36); P = 0.031] and preoperative rate of neurological dysfunction was higher in women [women 23% (n = 29) vs men 14.2% (n = 38); P = 0.028]. Time from symptom onset to surgery did not differ between gender. Surgical repair was less extensive and faster in women. Female patients were more likely to suffer from postoperative neurological injury [women 23.8% (n = 30) vs men 10.2% (n = 40); P = 0.023]. We detected impaired 30-day and long-term survival in women. Women represent an older and sicker patient collective. Preoperative course of aortic dissection type A is more aggressive and complicated in women. While time from onset of symptoms to surgery did not differ between gender, neurological outcome and survival were impaired in women.

A Deep-Learning Algorithm-Enhanced System Integrating Electrocardiograms and Chest X-rays for Diagnosing Aortic Dissection.

Chest pain is the most common symptom of aortic dissection (AD), but it is often confused with other prevalent cardiopulmonary diseases. We aimed to develop deep-learning models (DLMs) with electrocardiography (ECG) and chest x-ray (CXR) features to detect AD and evaluate their performance. This study included 43,473 patients in the emergency department (ED) between July 2012 and December 2019 for retrospective DLM development. A development cohort including 49,071 ED records (120 AD type A and 64 AD type B) was used to train DLMs for ECG and CXR, and 9904 independent ED records (40 AD type A and 34 AD type B) were used to validate DLM performance. Human-machine competitions of ECG and CXR were conducted. Patient characteristics and laboratory results were used to enhance the diagnostic accuracy. The DLM-enabled AD diagnostic process was prospectively evaluated in 25,885 ED visits. The area under the curves (AUCs) of the ECG and CXR models were 0.918 and 0.857 for detecting AD in a human-machine competition, respectively, which were better than those of the participating physicians. In the validation cohort, the AUCs of the integrated model were 0.882, 0.960, and 0.813 in all AD, AD type A, and AD type B patients, respectively, with a sensitivity of 100.0% and a specificity of 81.7% for AD type A. In patients with chest pain and D-dimer tests, the DLM could predict more precisely, achieving a positive predictive value of 62.5% in the prospective evaluation. DLMs may serve as decision-supporting tools for identification of AD and facilitate differential diagnosis in patients with acute chest pain.

The David Operation Offers Shorter Hemostasis Time Than the Bentall in Case of Acute Aortic Dissection Type A.

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to compare the clinical outcome of the David operation and the Bentall operation in patients with Stanford type A acute aortic dissection (AADA) from the viewpoint of hemostasis.MethodsBetween April 2016 and April 2020, 235 patients underwent emergent surgery for AADA. Of them, 38 patients required aortic root replacement (ARR: The David operation 17, the Bentall operation 21). The mean age was 59.3±12.6 years. In the present series, the David operation was the first choice for relatively young people, and the Bentall operation was performed for relatively elderly patients and cases in which valve-sparing seemed impossible.ResultsBetween the David and the Bentall group, the 30-day mortality rate did not differ significantly. However, hemostasis time (144.6±50.3 vs. 212.5±138.1 min, p=0.047), defined as the interval from the cessation of cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) to the end of the operation, and total operation time (477.8±85.7 vs. 578.3±173.6 min, p=0.027) were significantly shorter in the David group than in the Bentall group, and the amount of blood transfusion was less in the David group than in the Bentall group (red blood cells: 3.5±3.6 vs. 9.2±5.9 units, p=0.013; fresh frozen plasma: 4.1±4.7 vs 9.4±5.1 units, p=0.002; platelet concentrate: 33.2±11.3 vs 42.2±12.0 units, p=0.025).ConclusionDavid operation offers a shorter hemostasis time and consequently shorter operation time than the Bentall operation in the setting of AADA, probably due to double suture lines, despite its surgical complexity.

Outcomes of surgical treatment of Stanford type of aortic dissection at Hanoi Heart Hospital in the period 2015-2020

Background: Stanford type A aortic dissection is a complex disease and a serious surgical emergency. The diagnosis is determined based on diagnostic imagines. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment, with high mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to comment on clinical and paraclinical characteristics and evaluate the results of surgical treatment of type A aortic dissection at Hanoi Heart Hospital within 5 years from 2015 to 2020.
 Methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of patients diagnosed with type A aortic dissection who were surgically treated at Hanoi Heart Hospital from January 2015 to May 2020.
 Results: 109 cases were included in the study with the mean age of 56.0 ± 14.4; 50 - 60 age accounted for the highest percentage (30.3%); men accounted for 67.9%. Classic type A aortic dissection in 95 cases (87.2%). Chest pain was the main clinical symptom (91.7%); 4.6% came to the hospital in a state of cardiogenic shock and circulatory arrest. The rate of Marfan phenotype was 13.8%. The most common surgery is replacing the ascending aorta (45.9%); total replacement of the aortic arch accounted for 17.4%; Total root replacement and aortic arch accounted for 3.7%. The average aortic pairing time was 120.7 ± 41.0 minutes, the mean running time was 179.7 ± 57.0 minutes. Re-operative bleeding accounted for 6,4%; cerebrovascular accident accounted for 2,8%. The early mortality rate after surgery was 9.2%. The mean follow-up time was 24.93 ± 16.13 months, the mean survival time was 52.0 ± 1.9 months, the survival rate was 88.1% after 1 year and 85.3% after 5 years.
 Conclusion: Early mortality, postoperative complications and survival rate after follow-up were positive with surgical technique and conditions of anesthesia and resuscitation at Hanoi Heart Hospital.

Aortic Dissections in the Population-Based Danish National Patient Registry from 1996-2016: A Validation Study.

PurposeThis study evaluated the validity of the ICD-10 diagnostic codes for aortic dissections (ADs) in the Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR) based upon positive predictive values (PPV).Patients and methodsCases registered in the DNPR with the unspecific AD diagnostic code DI710 (unspecified AD) from 1996 to 2016, and the specific AD diagnostic codes DI710A (AD Type A) and DI710B (AD Type B) from 2006 to 2016, were included. Available medical records from all registered cases underwent review. Confirmed cases of AD served as “gold standard” when reporting PPV. PPV estimates were stratified by regional differences, date, age at time of diagnosis, and sex.ResultsA total of 5018 cases were identified in the DNPR. After merging of data and retrieval of medical records, 3767 cases were eligible for validation. Of these, 2677 cases were verified as AD type A (59.7%), AD type B (38.8%), and unspecified type of AD (1.5%). The average age at diagnosis was 65.1 ±13.0 years (67.3% males). The overall PPV for having an AD when one of the three diagnostic codes were registered from 1996 to 2016 was 71.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 69.6–72.5) and increased significantly over time. From 2006 to 2016, the PPV for the specific AD diagnostic codes was 89.5% (95% CI: 87.4–91.3), whilst the PPV for the unspecific diagnostic code was 63.5% (95% CI: 61.1–65.9).ConclusionWe found the overall PPV for the pooled AD diagnostic codes in the DNPR acceptable. However, the two specific AD diagnostic codes presented remarkably higher PPV compared to the unspecific diagnostic code.

Aortic Dissection Diagnosis Based on Sequence Information and燚eep燣earning

Aortic dissection (AD) is one of the most serious diseases with high mortality, and its diagnosis mainly depends on computed tomography (CT) results. Most existing automatic diagnosis methods of AD are only suitable for AD recognition, which usually require preselection of CT images and cannot be further classified to different types. In this work, we constructed a dataset of 105 cases with a total of 49021 slices, including 31043 slices expert-level annotation and proposed a two-stage AD diagnosis structure based on sequence information and deep learning. The proposed region of interest (RoI) extraction algorithm based on sequence information (RESI) can realize high-precision for RoI identification in the first stage. Then DenseNet-121 is applied for further diagnosis. Specially, the proposed method can judge the type of AD without preselection of CT images. The experimental results show that the accuracy of Stanford typing classification of AD is 89.19%, and the accuracy at the slice-level reaches 97.41%, which outperform the state-of-art methods. It can provide important decision-making information for the determination of further surgical treatment plan for patients.

Total Aortic Arch Replacements With a 4 Branched Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) Graft in Acute Aortic Dissection (DeBakey type I)

Total Aortic Arch Replacements With a 4 Branched Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) Graft in Acute Aortic Dissection (DeBakey type I)

On-line risk prediction models for acute type A aortic dissection surgery: validation of the German Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection Type A score and the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II.

The German Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA) on-line score calculator to predict 30-day mortality in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) was recently launched. Using the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II (EuroSCORE II), it is also possible to predict operative mortality for the same type of surgery. The goal of our study was to validate the prediction accuracy of these 2 on-line risk prediction models. Prospectively collected data for EuroSCORE II risk factors as well as all data for GERAADA scoring were extracted from an institutional database for 147 patients who underwent surgery for ATAAD between April 2018 and April 2021. The discriminative power was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The calibration of the models was tested by the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics and by using the observed-to-expected (O/E) mortality ratio with the 95% confidence interval. The observed operative mortality was 14.3%. The mean predicted mortality rates for the GERAADA score and the EuroSCORE II were 15.6% and 10.6%, respectively. The EuroSCORE II discriminative power (area under the curve = 0.799) significantly outperformed the discriminatory power of the GERAADA score (area under the curve = 0.550). The Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics confirmed good calibration for both models (P-values of 0.49 and 0.29 for the GERAADA score and the EuroSCORE II, respectively). The O/E mortality ratio certified good calibration for both scores [GERAADA score (O/E ratio of 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.53-1.33); EuroSCORE II (O/E ratio of 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 0.77-1.93)]. The EuroSCORE II has better discriminative power for predicting operative mortality in ATAAD surgery than the GERAADA score. Both scores confirmed good calibration ability.

Comparison of outcomes in DeBakey type I versus DeBakey type II aortic dissection: a 17-year single center experience.

BackgroundIt is controversial if the type or the size of aortic dissection is associated with the mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) type I or type II according to DeBakey. Due to the pronounced aortic pathology in DeBakey type I compared to DeBakey type II, it is to be expected, that the DeBakey type I is associated with a significant higher morbidity and mortality. But we hypothesize that the current advances in surgical techniques, circulatory management, and postoperative care improve the clinical outcome of patients with DeBakey type I and II. The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the effect of these parameters on surgical outcome in patients with DeBakey type I and type II in a large cohort study.MethodsFrom 2001 to 2019, 395 consecutive patients (34.2% female) underwent surgical aortic repair at our institution. Patients were retrospectively classified into 2 groups: patients with type 1 dissection (group 1: n=309, median age of 62.0 years) and patients with type 2 dissection (group 2: n=86, 67.5 years). Survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier estimator. Risk factors were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe patients in group 1 suffered significantly more often from coronary heart disease [43 (13.9%) vs. 20 (23.3%), P=0.036]. Otherwise, there were no significant differences between both groups concerning preoperative risk factors. The median surgical duration (279 vs. 263 min, P=0.026) and the circulatory arrest time (35 vs. 27 min, P<0.001) in group 1 were significantly higher. In a significantly higher number of patients in group 1, the aortic arch was completely replaced (18.4% vs. 1.2%, P<0.001) and a simultaneous coronary artery bypass grafting [18 (5.8%) vs. 11 (12.8%), P=0.028] was performed. The rate of re-thoracotomy [62 (20.1%) vs. 9 (10.5%), P=0.040], of postoperative delirium [66 (21.4%) vs. 9 (10.6%), P=0.024], and of tracheotomy [85 (27.5%) vs. 14 (16.3%), P=0.034] were significantly higher in group 1. Thirty-day mortality was 15.7% and did not differ significantly between both groups (P=0.867), as well as the long-term survival rates (P=0.956).ConclusionsDue to the pronounced aortic pathology in type I compared to type II, it is to be expected, that the type I is associated with a significant higher morbidity and mortality. DeBakey type I was an independent predictor for 30-day mortality in our study, however, based on our 17-year single center experience there was no difference between the long-term survival in both groups.

EP.WE.202Atypical presentation of Acute Aortic Dissection Standford type A dissection

Abstract Introduction Acute aortic dissection type A (AADA), a tear in the intima lining of the aorta, is a surgical emergency and contributes to high mortality rate if not managed promptly with surgical intervention. Case presentation We describe a case of a 63-year-old female with a history of hypertension presented with presumed seizure and hypotension to the emergency department. She did not have Computed Tomography (CT) chest despite having hemopericardium on her CT abdomen and pelvis. Her condition deteriorated to pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, multi-organ failure and shock. A diagnosis of AADA was only found on the stage of post-mortem. Conclusion AADA may not present with classical symptoms of tearing chest pain. The combination of hypotension and neurological deficit should trigger hospital team to consider aortic dissection higher up in the differential diagnosis for shock. If there is unclear diagnosis for an acutely unwell patient, hospital team should review the case and radiological imaging again. Hemopericardium on CT abdomen, pelvis should trigger hospital team to request for a CT chest to look out for the cause of hemopericardium. AADA is fatal without prompt surgical intervention. Immediate diagnosis can significantly reduce the mortality rate.

Machine Learning Models for Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Aortic Dissection Patients.

Background: Acute aortic dissection is a potentially fatal cardiovascular disorder associated with high mortality. However, current predictive models show a limited ability to efficiently and flexibly detect this mortality risk, and have been unable to discover a relationship between the mortality rate and certain variables. Thus, this study takes an artificial intelligence approach, whereby clinical data-driven machine learning was utilized to predict the in-hospital mortality of acute aortic dissection.Methods: Patients diagnosed with acute aortic dissection between January 2015 to December 2018 were voluntarily enrolled from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in the study. The diagnosis was defined by magnetic resonance angiography or computed tomography angiography, with an onset time of the symptoms being within 14 days. The analytical variables included demographic characteristics, physical examination, symptoms, clinical condition, laboratory results, and treatment strategies. The machine learning algorithms included logistic regression, decision tree, K nearest neighbor, Gaussian naive bayes, and extreme gradient boost (XGBoost). Evaluation of the predictive performance of the models was mainly achieved using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. SHapley Additive exPlanation was also implemented to interpret the final prediction model.Results: A total of 1,344 acute aortic dissection patients were recruited, including 1,071 (79.7%) patients in the survivor group and 273 (20.3%) patients in non-survivor group. The extreme gradient boost model was found to be the most effective model with the greatest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.927, 95% CI: 0.860–0.968). The three most significant aspects of the extreme gradient boost importance matrix plot were treatment, type of acute aortic dissection, and ischemia-modified albumin levels. In the SHapley Additive exPlanation summary plot, medical treatment, type A acute aortic dissection, and higher ischemia-modified albumin level were shown to increase the risk of hospital-based mortality.

The impact of pre-existing blood pressure control in patients with acute aortic dissections.

Arterial hypertension (HTN) is considered a seminal risk factor for aortic dissection (AD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether pre-existing blood pressure (BP) control lessens the extent of dissection and has a favorable impact on outcome of patients with acute AD. Consecutive acute AD patients who had at least two BPs recorded within the 12months preceding the AD were retrospectively analyzed. The two most recent BPs were averaged and defined per published guidelines as normal (BP≤ 130/80), Stage I HTN (BP >130/80 and <139/89), or Stage 2 or greater HTN (BP > 140/90). The number of hypertensive medications (MEDs) was also used as a surrogate marker of HTN severity. Patients with known genetic causes of AD were excluded. 89 subjects (55% men, 45% women; mean age, 64±14years) with acute AD (58% Stanford type A and 42% Stanford type B) were included. Two most recent BPs were recorded a mean of 5±3 and 3±2.7months before the AD, respectively. Twenty-nine (33%) subjects had normal BP, including nine subjects with no history of HTN and on no MEDs. Sixty (67%) subjects had elevated BP, including 21 (35%) with Stage I HTN and 39 (65%) with Stage 2 HTN. Compared to subjects with normal BP, subjects with Stage 1 and Stage 2 HTN were younger (70±13years vs 62±1year, p = 0.01), but there were no differences in other demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, or history of drug use. There were no group differences in the distal extent of the dissections, complications requiring thoracic endograft repair, mean length of hospital stay, final discharge status, or 30-day mortality. Compared to the number of MEDs before AD, all three groups had a higher mean number of MEDs to achieve normal BP at discharge that persisted at a mean follow-up of 18±15months. These data show that approximately one-third of patients with acute AD had well controlled or no antecedent history of HTN. The degree of pre-existing HTN control had no bearing on the type or extent of AD, length of stay, or early outcome. Regardless of the state of HTN control before AD, the consistent and sustained increase in the severity of HTN after AD suggests that the dissection process has a profound and lasting effect on BP regulation. Further studies are indicated to elucidate the pathologic mechanisms involved in AD.

HDL cholesterol: A potential mediator of the association between serum levels of a mixture of metals and the risk of aortic dissection in a Chinese population

Aortic dissection (AD) is a severe cardiovascular disease with a high mortality rate. However, the associations between the serum levels of metals and the risk of AD remain unclear. One hundred twenty-seven patients with AD (type A and B) identified from 2017 to 2019 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were included; 183 controls that were also included. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the associations between serum levels of metals and the risk of AD. Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) analyses were performed to explore the effects of mixtures of metals on the risk of AD. A linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships between the serum levels of metals and the white blood cells (WBCs) count and serum lipid levels and blood glucose. We conducted a mediation analysis to explore the contribution rates of WBC counts or serum lipid levels and blood glucose to the association between metal levels and the risk of AD. Exposure to serum levels of Cu (coefficient = 6.33; 95 % CI = 2.52, 10.14; p trend < 0.001) were significantly and positively associated with the risk of AD. In the WQS analysis, Cu (50.3 %), Ni (32.7 %) and Mo (17.1 %) contributed to the AD risk. In the BKMR analysis, Cu and Mo were shown to play important roles in the association with the AD risk. Moreover, serum concentrations of Cu were significantly and inversely associated with HDL-cholesterol levels. HDL-cholesterol levels mediated 7.42 % of the association between serum Cu levels and the prevalence of AD. Our study provided the first evidence that serum levels of mixtures of metals are associated with the AD risk in a Chinese population. Increased concentrations of metals, particularly Cu, may increase the risk of AD by reducing HDL-cholesterol levels.

Identification and Management of Abdominal Aortic Dissection With Concurrent Aneurysm

The incidence of acute aortic dissection ranges from 2.6 to 3.5 per 100,000 people per year. An abdominal aortic dissection is known to be the rarest of all types of aortic dissection, with high morbidity and mortality rates. In this case report, we are hoping to shed light on this unusual entity, its etiology, and management options.

Early outcomes of patients with Marfan syndrome and acute aortic type A dissection

BackgroundAcute aortic Stanford type A dissection remains a frequent and life-limiting event for patients with Marfan syndrome. Outcome results in this high-risk group are limited. MethodsThe German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A collected the data of 56 centers between July 2006 and June 2015. Of 3385 patients undergoing operations for acute aortic Stanford type A dissection, 117 (3.5%) were diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. We performed a propensity score match comparing patients with Marfan syndrome with patients without Marfan syndrome in a 1:2 fashion. ResultsPatients with Marfan syndrome were significantly younger (42.9 vs 62.2 years; P < .001), predominantly male (76.9% vs 62.9%; P = .002), and less catecholamine dependent (9.4% vs 20.3%; P = .002) compared with the unmatched cohort. They presented with aortic regurgitation (41.6% vs 23.0%; P < .001) and involvement of the supra-aortic vessels (50.4% vs 39.5%; P = .017) more often. Propensity matching revealed 82 patients with Marfan syndrome (21 female) with no significant differences in baseline characteristics compared with patients without Marfan syndrome (n = 159, 36 female; P = .607). Although root preservation was more frequent in patients with Marfan syndrome, procedure types did not differ significantly (18.3% vs 10.7%; P = .256). Aortic arch surgery was performed more frequently in matched patients (87.5% vs 97.8%; P = .014). Thirty-day mortality did not differ between patients with and without Marfan syndrome (19.5% vs 20.1%; P = .910). Multivariate regression showed no influence of Marfan syndrome on 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.928; 95% confidence interval, 0.346-2.332; P = .876). ConclusionsMarfan syndrome does not adversely affect 30-day outcomes after surgical repair for acute aortic Stanford type A dissection compared with a matched cohort. Long-term outcome analysis is needed to account for the influence of further downstream interventions.

Time is of the essence: where can we improve care in acute aortic dissection?

In acute aortic dissection type A various components of the diagnostic and logistic pathways may affect the time to definitive treatment. This study aimed to characterize these components and to identify factors delaying the optimal management within our institutional referral network. Between January 2017 and January 2020, 96 consecutive patients with classical aortic dissection type A were admitted (28%) or referred (72%) to our tertiary care centre and analysed retrospectively. Data are presented as medians (25th-75th quartile). Median age was 66 years (56-74), 63% were male. Most of the patients were primarily admitted to a cardiology department (40%), whereas about a fourth were admitted to departments for internal medicine (26%) and general surgery (27%). The median interval from the onset of symptoms to hospital admission was 2.1 (1-4.4) h. From admission to confirmed diagnosis it took 2.1 (0.6-9.5) h and the median interval from confirmed diagnosis to admission at our specialized tertiary care aortic centre was 1.5 (0.9-2.4) h. Following admission to our centre, 1.1 (0.5-1.9) h passed until the induction of anaesthesia and 0.8 (0.0-1.1) h until the start of surgery. The total interval from the onset of symptoms to the start of surgery was 7.6 h (5.1-12.3). The marked variability of the time from symptoms to diagnosis at any medical facility demonstrates the importance of awareness in the optimization of the treatment of acute aortic dissection type A.