Long-term follow-up and clinical implications in Chinese patients with aortic intramural hematomas.

BACKGROUND: Intramural hematomas (IMHs) are reported to dynamically evolve into different clinical outcomes ranging from regression to aortic rupture, but no practice guidelines are available in China. OBJECTIVE: To determine the evolution of IMHs after long-term follow-up and to identify the predictive factors of IMH outcomes in the Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 123 IMH patients with clinical and imaging follow-up data were retrospectively studied. The primary endpoints were aortic disease-related death, aortic dissection, penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU), thickening of the aortic hematoma and aortic complications requiring surgical or endovascular treatment. RESULTS: All 123 IMH patients were monitored clinically. The follow-up duration ranged from 1.4 to 107 months (median, 20 months). Thirty-nine patients had type A IMH, and 84 had type B. The multivariate analysis showed that a baseline MAD ≥ 44.75 mm (2.9% vs 61.4%, P < 0.001) and acute PAUs (2.9% vs 34.1%, P = 0.008) were independent predictors of aorta-related events. CONCLUSIONS: Medication and short-term imaging are recommended for Chinese IMH patients with a hematoma thickness < 10.45 mm and a baseline MAD < 44.75 mm. Rigorous medical observation should also be performed during the acute phase of IMH.

Influence of distal extension of false lumen on adverse aortic events after TEVAR in patients with acute type B aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical outcomes influenced by distal extension of false lumen in acute type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients following thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). METHODS: From April 2002 to January 2013, 264 TBAD patients treated with TEVAR were retrospectively enrolled. The IIIa group exhibited a distal false lumen above the diaphragm (n = 70), and the IIIb group exhibited a distal false lumen under the diaphragm (n = 194). The morphological characteristics and adverse events (30-day and >30 days) were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the demographics, comorbidity profiles, or initial feature of computed tomography angiography. The incidence of true lumen compression and branch involvement were significantly increased in the IIIb group compared with the IIIa group (8.6% vs. 25.3%, respectively; 15.7% vs. 36.1%, respectively, both P < 0.05). The 30-day mortality rate was 1.0% (2/194) in the IIIb group, whereas the IIIa group was zero. The incidence of early adverse events, the 5-year cumulative freedom from adverse events, and the 5-year cumulative freedom from all-cause mortality rate were not significantly different between the IIIa and IIIb groups (2.9% vs. 6.7%, 81.4%, and 80.4%, and 95.7% vs. 93.8%, respectively, all P > 0.05). Log-rank tests also indicated there was no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between the IIIa and IIIb groups in the 5-year morality and adverse aortic events following TEVAR. The distal extension of false lumen prior to TEVAR does not influence the long-term morality and adverse aortic events in acute TBAD.