Is ascending aortic curvature an independent risk factor for type A dissection and aneurysm formation compared to traditional risk factors?
A mathematical model suggests that ascending aortic curvature may be a more important determinant of wall stress than traditional factors like aortic diameter, potentially explaining dissections in normal-diameter aortas.
Aortic curvature is relatively more important that aortic diameter, blood pressure, cardiac output, beta-blocker use, and patient size with regard to the force acting on the aortic wall. This may explain why some patients with normal diameter ascending aortas with or without Marfan's syndrome develop type A dissections and aneurysms. Aortic curvature may also help to explain the site of entry tear in acute type A dissection. Further clinical study is needed to validate this study's finding.
Poullis et al. (Wed,) studied this question.