Conclusion
The central finding of this study is that ascending aortic length is significantly greater in patients who experienced thoracic aortic dissection compared to matched controls. This observation supports the hypothesis that elongation of the aorta contributes to the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic dissection. Therefore, measurement of the ascending aortic length may be a useful tool for identifying patients at high risk of aortic dissection.
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Table 1. Patient Characteristics