Morphology of the ascending aorta: a study on 114 Chinese patients

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the morphological characteristics of ascending aortic dissection in detail. Materials and Methods: The ascending aorta was morphologically assessed in a consecutive series of patients between January 2009 and October 2014. A new assessment and evaluation method was used to describe 114 patients with ascending aortic dissection. Results: A large difference was found in the degree of curvature between the ascending aorta with and without dissection. The shape of the former was straighter and steeper (control group R, 47.46 ± 6.40 mm; experimental group R, 59.70 ± 10.27 mm, P < 0.001). In the case of aortic dissection involving the valves, the proximal edge of the first entry was obviously close to the aortic sinus. The orientation of the entries was mainly around the 10 o’clock and 1–2 o’clock positions, and most of their shapes were fusiform (111; 70.02%). The distance of the distal extending dissection was associated with cases involving the branch arteries (involving three branches 441.40 ± 101.13 mm vs 159.85 ± 131.86 mm in others, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The morphological features of the ascending aorta after dissection and the correlations among dissections, entries, and related factors were found.