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INTRODUCTION
Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening emergency that is increasing in both prevalence and incidence1,2. There is well-documented correlation between aortic dilation and risk of aortic dissection, and current guidelines for preventative surgical intervention are based on measurements of aortic diameter3–7. As our understanding of thoracic aortic disease expands, it has become clear that many patients experience aortic dissection at an aortic diameter less than the current intervention guideline of 5.5 cm8–10. Therefore, supplementation of the current diameter-based guidelines with an additional predictor of aortic dissection is warranted. Little information is known about the relationship between length of the ascending thoracic aorta and risk of aortic dissection. In recent years, ascending aortic length has been identified as a “neglected dimension” that may predict risk for ATAAD11–13. However, no study has compared aortic length in patients with ATAAD to aortic length in a population of matched controls. We aim to evaluate whether patients who present with ATAAD exhibit differential aortic length compared to control patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS