Is aortic diameter ≥5.5 cm a good predictor of type A aortic dissection?
Current guideline thresholds of aortic diameter ≥5.5 cm fail to identify the majority of patients who present with acute type A aortic dissection, highlighting the need for alternative risk stratification methods.
The majority of patients with acute type A acute aortic dissection present with aortic diameters <5.5 cm and thus do not fall within current guidelines for elective aneurysm surgery. Methods other than size measurement of the ascending aorta are needed to identify patients at risk for dissection.
Pape et al. (2007) studied this question.