False Lumen Status in Patients With Acute Aortic Dissection: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

BACKGROUND: The long‐term association between the status of the false lumen and poor patient outcomes in acute aortic dissection (AAD) remains unclear. This systematic review and meta‐analysis investigated whether the status of the false lumen was a predictor of poor long‐term survival in AAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eleven cohort studies (2924 participants) exploring the association between the false lumen status and long‐term outcomes (>1 year) in AAD were included. All studies reported multivariate‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs for long‐term outcomes, according to false lumen status. Pooled HRs for mortality and aortic events were computed and weighted using generic inverse‐variance and random‐effect modeling. Residual patent false lumen was an independent predictor of long‐term mortality in AAD type A (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.16–2.52; P=0.007) and type B (HR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.80–4.32; P<0.001). AAD patients with residual patent false lumen exhibited an increased risk of aortic events (HR, 5.43; 95% CI, 2.95–9.99; P<0.001). Partial false lumen thrombosis was independently associated with long‐term mortality in type B AAD (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.37–3.65; P=0.001). This association was not observed in AAD type A patients (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 0.88–3.45; P=0.211). CONCLUSIONS: The false lumen status influences late outcomes in AAD. Residual patent false lumen is independently associated with poor long‐term survival in AAD. However, only type B AAD patients with partial false lumen thrombosis had an increased late mortality risk.