Circulation Journal
Online ISSN : 1347-4820
Print ISSN : 1346-9843
ISSN-L : 1346-9843
Clinical Investigation
Atherosclerosis of the Aorta in Patients With Acute Thoracic Aortic Dissection
John BarbetseasNikolaos AlexopoulosStella BriliConstadina AggeliChristina ChrysohoouAlexandra FrogoudakiGregory VyssoulisChristos PitsavosChristodoulos Stefanadis
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2008 Volume 72 Issue 11 Pages 1773-1776

Details
Abstract

Background The role of atherosclerosis in thoracic aortic dissection has not been established yet. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an imaging modality widely used in the diagnostic evaluation of thoracic aortic dissection, and it can detect aortic atherosclerotic plaques and assess their size and specific characteristics. Methods and Results One hundred consecutive patients with thoracic aortic dissection and adequate imaging of the thoracic aorta by TEE were studied. The type of dissection (proximal or distal) and the presence and the degree of aortic atherosclerosis were defined. Proximal aortic dissection (Stanford type A) was found in 64 patients. Patients with proximal dissection were younger than those with distal (type B; 58±13 vs 67±11 years, p<0.001). The prevalence of arterial hypertension was higher in patients with distal dissection compared with those with proximal. Aortic atherosclerosis was present in less patients with proximal than with distal dissection (67% vs 94%, p<0.002). Logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with severe atherosclerosis were 7.6-fold more probable to have type B than type A dissection (p<0.001). Conclusion Aortic atherosclerosis is more associated with distal than with proximal aortic dissection. (Circ J 2008; 72: 1773 - 1776)

Content from these authors
© 2008 THE JAPANESE CIRCULATION SOCIETY
Previous article Next article
feedback
Top