Assessing the Validity of Echocardiographic Criteria for Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: In patients with pulmonary hypertension (PHT), the assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function by echocardiography may not be reliable. PHT can affect Doppler parameters of LV diastolic function such as mitral inflow velocities and mitral annular velocities. The current guidelines for the assessment of LV diastolic function do not recommend specific adjustments for patients with PHT. METHODS: We analyzed 36 patients from the PHT clinic that had an echocardiogram and right heart catheterization performed within 6 months of each other. Early mitral inflow velocity (E), lateral mitral annular velocity (lateral e'), septal mitral annular velocity (septal e'), tricuspid free wall annular velocity (RV e') were measured and compared to the invasively measured intracardiac pressures including pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), mean pulmonary artery pressure, and right ventricular end-diastolic pressure. RESULTS: Among patients with PHT, the specificity of the septal e' for LV diastolic dysfunction was 0.19, and the positive predictive value was 0.13 (lower than the lateral e' or E/average e'). By receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) of lateral and septal e' was just 0.64 (p = 0.9) and 0.53 (p = 0.6), respectively, while the AUC of average E/e' was 0.94 (p < 0.001). The septal e' was paradoxically lower at 6.5 ± 1.9 cm/s for normal PCWP compared to 6.9 ± 1.7 cm/s for elevated PCWP (p = 0.04). 81 versus 40% (p = 0.017) of patients with normal versus elevated PCWP had an abnormal septal e' <7 cm/s. By linear regression, there was no correlation between the Doppler parameters of LV diastolic function and the PCWP. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests E/average e' may be the only reliable tissue Doppler parameter of LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with PHT, and that septal e' is paradoxically decreased in patients with PHT and normal left-sided filling pressures.

Predictors of Failure of Medical Management in Uncomplicated Type B Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: Optimal medical therapy (OMT) for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (uTBAD) provides excellent short-term outcomes but is associated with a high incidence of failure. This study identified predictors of aortic intervention and mortality in uTBAD patients undergoing OMT. METHODS: A retrospective review of the Emory University School of Medicine aortic database identified 314 uTBAD patients undergoing OMT from 2000 to 2016. Two hundred sixty-three (84%) patients had imaging at presentation analyzed for maximum aortic diameters (ADs), false lumen (FL) status, and visceral vessel perfusion. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to estimate hazards ratios (HRs) and identify predictors of OMT failure. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 58 ± 12 years, and 67% were men. FL status was patent in 59.4%, partially thrombosed in 39.8%, and completely thrombosed in 0.8% of patients. Over a median follow-up of 5.6 (interquartile range, 1.4 to 8.5) years, 44.9% of patients failed OMT and underwent intervention (n = 58 open, n = 83 endovascular). The estimated incidence of OMT failure was 46%. Multivariate analysis identified the presence of diabetes, renal failure, DeBakey 3B dissection, and a descending thoracic AD of 4.5 cm or greater (HR, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 1.56; p < 0.001) to be independent predictors of failure of OMT. FL status or the distribution of visceral vessels arising from the FL did not predict OMT failure. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant incidence of OMT failure in uTBAD patients. A descending thoracic AD of 4.5 cm or greater at the time of diagnosis is an independent predictor of failure of OMT.

The Impact of Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair on Long-Term Survival in Type B Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: Currently, optimal medical therapy is first-line therapy for uncomplicated acute type B aortic dissection (aTBAD) despite poor long-term outcomes. This study examines the impact of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in the acute and chronic phases on short-term and long-term survival of patients presenting with aTBAD. METHODS: A review of the Emory aortic database from 2000 to 2016 identified 398 patients diagnosed with aTBAD. At index hospitalization, complicated patients underwent TEVAR (aTEVAR [thoracic endovascular aortic repair in the acute phase], n = 80) and uncomplicated patients received optimal medical therapy (n = 318). Uncomplicated patients were divided into subgroups based on final treatment: (1) TEVAR (cTEVAR [thoracic endovascular aortic repair in the chronic phase], n = 87); (2) open aortic replacement (n = 59); and (3) optimal medical therapy (n = 172). Kaplan-Meier curves assessed long-term mortality. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 57 ± 12 years. In the uncomplicated group, 146 patients (45.9%) patients failed optimal medical therapy and underwent open repair (n = 59) or endovascular repair (cTEVAR, n = 87) repair in the chronic phase. Inhospital mortality was 5% and equivalent between complicated and uncomplicated aTBAD groups at index hospitalization. For patients requiring intervention, mortality and renal failure were highest for open patients (16.9%, p < 0.01, and 10.2%, p = 0.05, respectively), and stroke was highest among aTEVAR patients (7.5%, p < 0.01). The incidence of paraparesis and paraplegia was low and equivalent among the three groups. Despite a higher mortality risk at presentation, there was a trend toward improved long-term survival among complicated aTBAD patients (complicated 84.1% versus uncomplicated 58.9%, p = 0.17). Intervention-free survival at 5 and 10 years for all uncomplicated patients was 50.4% and 32.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of uncomplicated aTBAD with optimal medical therapy results in a high incidence of surgical intervention and poor long-term survival. At the index hospitalization, TEVAR may confer a survival advantage and serve as optimal therapy for complicated and uncomplicated aTBAD patients.

Aortic Remodeling After Endovascular Repair of Complicated Acute Type B Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is the optimal therapy for complicated acute type B aortic dissection (aTBAD). This study examined clinical outcomes and aortic remodeling parameters after TEVAR for patients with complicated aTBAD. METHODS: From January 2012 to December 2015, 51 patients underwent TEVAR for complicated aTBAD. Preoperative and postoperative imaging studies were analyzed for sizes of the true lumen (TL) and false lumen (FL) and for the FL thrombosis status at five locations in the thoracic and abdominal aorta. RESULTS: In-hospital and 1-year mortality rates were 3.9% and 5.8%, respectively. The incidence of stroke and paraparesis were 3.9% and 5.8%, respectively. In DeBakey 3a patients, TEVAR resulted in complete FL thrombosis and/or obliteration in 73% of patients. In DeBakey 3b patients, TEVAR resulted in complete FL thrombosis and/or obliteration in 100% of patients in the proximal descending thoracic aorta and 78% in the midpoint of the descending thoracic aorta. The infrarenal FL remained patent in 78% of patients. TEVAR stabilized the size of the proximal descending thoracic aorta (pre-TEVAR 43 ± 9 mm vs post-TEVAR 39 ± 7 mm; p = 0.07). However, significant aortic expansion was observed in all other downstream aortic segments. TEVAR resulted in a significant expansion in the TL volume (pre-TEVAR 99 ± 51 cm3 vs post-TEVAR 185 ± 70 cm3; p < 0.01) and total aortic volume (pre-TEVAR 314 ± 97 cm3 vs post-TEVAR 391 ± 120 cm3; p = 0.02) while inhibiting expansion of FL volume (pre-TEVAR 215 ± 67 cm3 vs post-TEVAR 204 ± 79 cm3; p = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: TEVAR for complicated aTBAD results in low 30-day and 1-year mortality rates, with higher reintervention rates than observed with open operations. TEVAR is effective in thrombosing and stabilizing the size of the thoracic FL. The abdominal aortic FL remains patent and must be carefully scrutinized for long-term aneurysm formation.