Long‐Term Imaging Evolution and Clinical Prognosis Among Patients With Acute Penetrating Aortic Ulcers: A Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Acute penetrating aortic ulcers (PAUs) are reported to dynamically evolve into different clinical outcomes ranging from regression to aortic rupture, but no practice guidelines are available in China. METHODS AND RESULTS: All 109 patients with acute PAUs were monitored clinically. At 30 days follow‐up, 31 patients (28.44%) suffered from aortic‐related adverse events, a composite of aortic‐related mortality, aortic dissection, or an enlarged ulcer. In addition, 7 (6.42%) patients had clinically related adverse events, including all‐cause mortality, cerebral stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, acute heart failure alone or acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure, acute renal failure, arrhythmia, and bleeding events. In the present study, the intervention criteria for the Chinese PAU population included a PAU diameter of 12.5 mm and depth of 9.5 mm. The multivariate analysis showed that an ulcer diameter >12.5 mm (hazard ratio [HR], 3.846; 95% CI, 1.561–9.476; P=0.003) and an ulcer depth >9.5 mm (HR, 3.359; 95% CI, 1.505–7.494; P=0.003) were each independent predictors of aortic‐related events. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acute PAUs were at high risk for aortic‐related adverse events and clinically related adverse events within 30 days after onset. Patients with an ulcer diameter >12.5 mm or an ulcer depth >9.5 mm have a higher risk for disease progression, and early intervention may be recommended.