Endovascular stent grafting (EVSG) is a minimally invasive alternative to open repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms. It is useful in the treatment of thoracic aneurysms, dissections, and ruptures. Currently, the incidence of thoracic aortic aneurysms is 6:100,000 people. Comorbidities often include hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular ...

OBJECTIVES The study determined, in a population-based setting, whether dilatation of the thoracic aorta is an atherosclerosis-related process. BACKGROUND The role of atherosclerosis in thoracic aortic dilatation and aneurysm formation is poorly defined. METHODS The dimensions of the thoracic aorta were measured with transesophageal echocardiography in 373 subjects participating in a population...

This paper addresses clinical controversies and uncertainties regarding thoracic aortic aneurysm and its treatment. 1) Estimating true aortic size is confounded by obliquity, asymmetry, and noncorresponding sites: both echocardiography and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging are necessary for complete assessment. 2) Epidemiology of thoracic aortic aneurysm. There has been a bona fide...

A 25-year-old woman committed suicide with a high-rise fall and presented hypovolemic shock caused by blunt thoracic, abdominal injury. Enhanced computed tomography scan showed the pelvic hemorrhage and the transection of the descending thoracic aorta. After urgent transcatheter arterial embolization to stabilize bleeding from pelvic fracture, the thoracic aortic injury was treated with endovas...

Thoracic aortic dissection is a rare, but lethal, medical condition that is either misdiagnosed as a myocardial infarction or overlooked completely. Though thoracic aortic dissections are commonly diagnosed in patients exhibiting sharp chest pain, there are some notable cases where patients do not report the expected severity of pain. We report a unique case of a patient with a thoracic aortic ...

The right-sided thoracic aortic arch is a rare congenital malformation occurring during embryologic development. A majority of the cases present with two anatomic variations, one of which is an aberrant left subclavian artery (LSA) originating off the distal descending aortic arch. This aberrant LSA courses across and compresses thoracic structures on its way to the left thoracic outlet. While ...

BACKGROUND Retropharyngeal hematoma is a rare form of pharyngeal pathology and can present as acute airway obstruction. Among the many causes of retropharyngeal hematoma, thoracic aortic rupture is extremely rare. METHODS AND RESULTS A 78-year-old female with airway obstruction by a retropharyngeal hematoma secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm rupture was successfully treated by total aortic...

Background and Aims: Diabetes mellitus is accompanied with higher incidence of cardiovascular disorders. There is some evidence on antidiabetic potential of silymarin. In this study the effect of chronic administration of silymarin on contractile-relaxation response of thoracic aorta of diabetic rats was investigated. Methods: In this experimental study, male Wistar rats were divided into 5 gro...

Objective(s): Atherosclerosis is a chronic immune-inflammatory disease that generally leads to ischemic heart disease. Ghrelin has several modulatory effects on cardiovascular system. In this study, we investigated the effect of ghrelin on aortic intima-media thickness, size and the number of adipocyte cells in obese and control mice. Materials and Methods:This study was conducted on 24 male C...

We report a case of simultaneous repair of an extensive thoracic aortic aneurysm from the aortic root to the distal aortic arch. A 54-year-old male had annuloaortic ectasia and a transverse aortic and distal arch aneurysm. Aneurysms of the descending aorta and the abdominal aorta were also demonstrated. The patient underwent aortic valve-sparing root reconstruction, replacement of the aortic ar...