Time to Move to Earlier Intervention for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm?

ABSTRACT

Aortic disease is the 20th most common cause of death in the U.S. population. One of the most life-threatening complications of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is acute aortic dissection and/or rupture, with an estimated incidence of 2.53/100,000 patient/years. In this article we investigate the impact of early diagnosis of TAA and discuss the prospect and growing advisability of early prophylactic intervention for TAA. Aortic size remains the current gold standard for determining when surgically to replace an enlarged thoracic aorta. However, recent studies suggest that other factors such as family history of aneurysm disease, patient height or body surface area (BSA), and aortic growth rate, as well as specific genetic aberrations should also play an important role in indicating prophylactic surgical intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Aortic dissection
• diagnosis
• early intervention
• natural history
• thoracic aortic aneurysm

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.