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Aortic dissection

Nature Reviews Disease Primers volume 2, Article number: 16053 (2016) Cite this article

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A Correction to this article was published on 25 August 2016

Abstract

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition caused by a tear in the intimal layer of the aorta or bleeding within the aortic wall, resulting in the separation (dissection) of the layers of the aortic wall. Aortic dissection is most common in those 65–75 years of age, with an incidence of 35 cases per 100,000 people per year in this population. Other risk factors include hypertension, dyslipidaemia and genetic disorders that involve the connective tissue, such as Marfan syndrome. Swift diagnostic confirmation and adequate treatment are crucial in managing affected patients. Contemporary management is multidisciplinary and includes serial non-invasive imaging, biomarker testing and genetic risk profiling for aortopathy. The choice of approach for repairing or replacing the damaged region of the aorta depends on the severity and the location of the dissection and the risks of complication from surgery. Open surgical repair is most commonly used for dissections involving the ascending aorta and the aortic arch, whereas minimally invasive endovascular intervention is appropriate for descending aorta dissections that are complicated by rupture, malperfusion, ongoing pain, hypotension or imaging features of high risk. Recent advances in the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of aortic dissection have led to more patients being considered at substantial risk of complications and, therefore, in need of endovascular intervention rather than only medical or surgical intervention.

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Figure 1: Aortic dissection is caused by bleeding within the aortic wall.
Figure 2: Classification systems for aortic dissection.
Figure 3: Incidence of aortic dissection.
Figure 4: Pathophysiology of aortic dissection involving inflammation.
Figure 5: CT imaging of aortic dissection.
Figure 6: MRI detection of aortic dissection.
Figure 7: Transoesophageal echocardiography detection of aortic dissection.
Figure 8: An algorithm for the identification and treatment of aortic dissection in patients presenting with chest pain.
Figure 9: Endovascular repair of Stanford type B aortic dissection.
Figure 10: Engagement of physical activities before and after aortic dissection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology and Aortic Centre, Royal Brompton Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK

    Christoph A. Nienaber, James S. M. Yeh, Nicholas Cheshire, Ulrich Rosendahl & John Pepper

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Christoph A. Nienaber, James S. M. Yeh & John Pepper

  3. Aortic Centre, Hôpital Cardiologique, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille (CHRU de Lille), Lille, France

    Rachel E. Clough

  4. Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK

    Rachel E. Clough

  5. Department de Chirurgie Cardiovasculaire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Natzi Sakalihasan

  6. Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Cardiovascular Research Centre at Glenfield General Hospital, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Toru Suzuki

  7. Department of Vascular Surgery, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

    Richard Gibbs & Michael P. Jenkins

  8. Department of Vascular Surgery, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA

    Firas Mussa

  9. Department of Vascular Surgery, St George's University of London, London, UK

    Matt M. Thompson

  10. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

    Arturo Evangelista

Authors
  1. Christoph A. Nienaber
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  2. Rachel E. Clough
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  4. Toru Suzuki
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  8. Matt M. Thompson
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  9. Arturo Evangelista
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  11. Nicholas Cheshire
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  12. Ulrich Rosendahl
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  13. John Pepper
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Contributions

Introduction (C.A.N. and J.S.M.Y.); Epidemiology (F.M. and J.S.M.Y.); Mechanisms/pathophysiology (T.S. and J.S.M.Y.); Diagnosis, screening and prevention (C.A.N., R.E.C., A.E. and J.S.M.Y.); Management (C.A.N., N.S., R.G., M.P.J., M.M.T., J.S.M.Y. and J.P.); Quality of life (J.S.M.Y. and U.R.); Outlook (C.A.N., R.E.C., J.S.M.Y. and N.C.); Overview of Primer (C.A.N.).

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christoph A. Nienaber.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Nienaber, C., Clough, R., Sakalihasan, N. et al. Aortic dissection. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2, 16053 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2016.53

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