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World Neurosurg 2020 May 31. Epub 2020 May 31.

Department of Neurological Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.

The natural history of unruptured dissections of the intracranial vertebral artery (VA) is not well delineated. The dissected VA may heal spontaneously or may be associated with ischemic events. The literature on medical management for intracranial VA dissections is also limited. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 May 31. Epub 2020 May 31.

Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.

Fluroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics have come under increased scrutiny given their recent association with aortic events. While judicious use has been urged in select patient populations such as those with Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes that have a known predisposition for aortopathy, other at-risk patient populations may remain. Here we describe the atypical delayed-presentation of a type A aortic dissection in a patient with alpha-1 anti-trypsin (A1AT) deficiency and longstanding FQ exposure. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Freiburg, Bad Krozingen, Germany.

Objectives: The goal was to develop a scoring system to predict the 30-day mortality rate for patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection on the basis of the German Registry for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (GERAADA) data set and to provide a Web-based application for standard use.

Methods: A total of 2537 patients enrolled in GERAADA who underwent surgery between 2006 and 2015 were analysed. Variable selection was performed using the R-package FAMoS. Read More

J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech 2020 Jun 28;6(2):254-258. Epub 2020 May 28.

Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.

Endovascular treatment of aortic dissection may be complicated by challenges to navigating the true lumen. In this report, we describe treatment of a type B dissection after open type A repair with aneurysmal degeneration, a short-segment occluded true lumen, and a distal re-entry tear near the celiac artery origin. Endovascular septal fenestration and subsequent thoracic endovascular aortic repair were used to bypass the short-segment midthoracic aortic occlusion, successfully excluding the thoracic aortic aneurysm. Read More

Heart Fail Rev 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 156124, Pisa, Italy.

The use of cocaine constitutes a major health problem. Cocaine use is associated with acute and chronic complications that might involve any system, the most common being the cardiovascular system. The precise incidence of cocaine-induced cardiomyopathy remains mysterious and probably underreported. Read More

Kardiol Pol 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Background: Over the last years aortic valve repair has evolved from being a random and irreproducible procedure to a standardized technique yielding durable long-term results.

Aims: Long-term outcome of aortic valve repair and aortic valve sparing procedures.

Methods: We analyzed the outcomes of all consecutive patients who underwent aortic valve repair and/or aortic valve sparing root replacement till the end of 2019. Read More

Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2020 May 30. Epub 2020 May 30.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address:

The congenital bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a heterogeneous condition that is better understood considering 3 types of valvulo-aortopathy presentations: A typical-presentation valvulo-aortopathy, a complex-presentation valvulo-aortopathy and an uncomplicated/undiagnosed-presentation. The burden of BAV-related complications has been elucidated in patients with the typical-presentation valvulo-aortopathy and is discussed in this review. These patients enjoy an overall normal expected long-term survival as long as complications are identified and treated in a timely manner. Read More

J Card Surg 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK.

Cardiac disease is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United Kingdom. Major causes of cardiac death in pregnant women include cardiomyopathies, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, and aortic dissection. Uncorrected congenital heart disease and women who have had corrective or palliative surgery may have complicated pregnancies as well. Read More

J Biol Chem 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan.

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening aortopathy involving separation of the aortic wall, whose underlying mechanisms are still incompletely understood. Epidemiological evidence suggests that unsaturated fatty acids improve cardiovascular health. Here, using quantitative RT-PCR, histological analyses, magnetic cell sorting and flow cytometry assays, and mass spectrometry-based lipidomics, we show that the activity of a lipid-metabolizing enzyme, secreted phospholipase A2 group V (sPLA2-V), protects against aortic dissection by endogenously mobilizing vasoprotective lipids. Read More

J Rheumatol 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Département de Médecine Interne, Centre de Référence National pour les maladies auto-immunes systémiques rares, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP; Département de Pharmacologie, Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP; Département de Médecine Interne, Centre de Référence National pour les maladies auto-immunes systémiques rares, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP, and Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. Address correspondence to Prof. B. Terrier, Department of Internal Medicine, Hôpital Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75679 Paris Cedex 14, France. E-mail:

Aortitis is a rare inflammatory disease ranging from asymptomatic aortic thickening to life-threatening manifestations, especially aortic dissection or stenosis. Aortitis mainly occurs during systemic inflammatory diseases (giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, IgG4-related disease) and less frequently in patients with syphilis or tuberculosis Aortitis is rarely suspected to be induced by drugs and its causality is hardly assessable. The aim of our study is to identify drugs associated with aortitis occurrence using a data-mining approach. Read More

Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh and; Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Electronic address:

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Radiology, Mie University Hospital, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.

Background: The relevance of aortic dissection chronicity to development of stent graft-induced new entry (SINE) is unknown.

Methods: This study enrolled 69 patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for chronic aortic dissection from January 2006 to December 2017 and were followed up for ≥6 months. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2020 12;7:75. Epub 2020 May 12.

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a focal enlargement of the thoracic aorta, but the etiology of this disease is not fully understood. Previous work suggests that various genetic syndromes, congenital defects such as bicuspid aortic valve, hypertension, and age are associated with TAA formation. Though occurrence of TAAs is rare, they can be life-threatening when dissection or rupture occurs. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2020 Jun;73(6):453-456

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fukuyama Cardiovascular Hospital, Fukuyama, Japan.

A 78-year-old female patient was introduced to our hospital with chief complaint of massive hemoptysis. She had a history of total arch replacement using a short elephant trunk for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection 3 years before. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed kinking of the short elephant trunk and distal aortic arch aneurysm which caused aortobronchial fistula. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2020 Jun;73(6):449-452

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.

A 69-year-old man developed sudden-onset chest and back pain and was brought to our hospital. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed acute Stanford type B aortic dissection extending from the distal aortic arch to a 72 mm abdominal aortic aneurysm( AAA). The acute phase was managed by antihypertensive therapy, and the patient was followed up. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2020 Jun;73(6):413-416

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kushiro City General Hospital, Kushiro, Japan.

A 51-year-old male arrived at our hospital by ambulance, presenting with a sudden onset of chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) revealed Stanford type A acute aortic dissection. Although emergency hemi-arch replacement was successfully performed, the blood pressure decreased and anemia acutely progressed. Read More

J Cancer Res Ther 2020 ;16(2):238-242

Biomedical Engineering Center, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China.

Background And Objectives: The relative effectiveness of tracers in guiding para-aortic lymph node dissection (PAND) in advanced gastric cancer is undefined. In this single-center, prospective study, we aimed to discuss the effectiveness of such tracers.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2015 and January 2016, 90 consecutive patients with stage T4a gastric cancer were evenly assigned to receive 0. Read More

Heart Lung 2020 May 28. Epub 2020 May 28.

Division of Cardiovascular Emergencies, University of Napoli "Federico II", Italy. Electronic address:

Background: Pregnancy usually represents a risk factor for aortic dissection or thrombotic events, but therapeutic options are very scarce because the foetus limits the common approaches especially in the early stages of pregnancy.

Case Presentation: We present a challenging case of a young woman in her 16th week of gestation with an history of multiple abortions associated with autoimmune thrombophilia. A strictly designed perioperative management protocol was required to remove a huge right endoventricular mass, due to her decision to not terminate the pregnancy. Read More

World J Surg Oncol 2020 May 30;18(1):114. Epub 2020 May 30.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush University Medical Center , Chicago, USA.

Purpose: This study aims to identify predictive local recurrence risk factors and site-specific local recurrence pattern of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) with different primary tumor locations.

Methods: Three hundred and eighty-nine UTUC patients with radical nephroureterectomy were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to measure the risk of local recurrence. Read More

Curr Pharm Des 2020 May 31. Epub 2020 May 31.

Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki. Greece.

Turner's or Turner syndrome (TS) is the most prevalent chromosomal abnormality in female live births. Patients with TS are predisposed to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), mainly due to the frequently observed congenital structural cardiovascular defects, such as valvular and aortic abnormalities (coarctation, dilatation and dissection). The increased prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, such as arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, central obesity and increased carotid intima-media thickness, also contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in TS patients. Read More

J Cardiothorac Surg 2020 May 29;15(1):120. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Background: Thoracic aortic graft infection (TAGI) is a rare and serious complication after surgery for which the treatment is controversial and challenging. Rather than following the traditional surgical strategy of graft replacement and extensive debridement, we have chosen to preserve the graft and cover it by a laparoscopic omental flap. In this article, we describe the clinical manifestation, diagnostic modalities, and treatment of this disease and analyze the role of laparoscopic omental flaps in its treatment. Read More

Arch Gynecol Obstet 2020 Jul 28;302(1):249-263. Epub 2020 May 28.

3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloníki, Greece.

Background: Lymph node metastasis is a principal prognostic factor for the treatment of endometrial cancer. Added value of para-aortic lymphadenectomy to only pelvic lymphadenectomy for intermediate/high-risk endometrial cancer patients remains controversial.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the impact of combined pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection (PPALND) compared to only pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) on survival outcomes of intermediate and/or high-risk patients. Read More

Int J Gynecol Cancer 2020 May 28. Epub 2020 May 28.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.

Objective: Patients who undergo radical hysterectomy may require postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy, and all efforts should be made to reduce dual therapy in such patients. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal upper limit of tumor size in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB2 cervical cancer who undergo radical hysterectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 114 patients with FIGO 2018 stage IB2 cervical cancer who underwent primary surgery either with (n=55) or without (n=59) adjuvant radiotherapy from June 2004 to December 2018. Read More

Gynecol Oncol 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Gynecological Oncology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:

Objective: Paraaortic lymph node involvement is an important prognostic factor in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), but the anatomic limit of aortic lymphadenectomy is controversial. We assessed the impact of extraperitoneal paraaortic lymphadenectomy up to the left renal vein in patients with LACC undergoing pretherapeutic staging.

Methods: A retrospective, multicenter study of patients with LACC stages FIGO 2009 IB2 and IIA2-IVA treated in 10 Spanish reference hospitals in gynecological oncology between 2000 and 2016. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2020 May 13;415:116897. Epub 2020 May 13.

Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Center for Rare Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Clinical Genetics, Denmark.

Heterozygous variants in smooth muscle alpha-actin gene (ACTA2) are the most frequent cause of autosomal dominant hereditary thoracic aortic disease (HTAD). Several genotype-phenotype associations have been described, including a severe multisystemic smooth muscle disorder associated with de novo ACTA2 p.R179 variants, characterized by highly penetrant and early onset vascular disease, involvement of smooth muscle cell (SMC)-dependent organs and a distinct cerebrovascular phenotype. Read More

J Tehran Heart Cent 2019 Oct;14(4):191-194

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Medical Faculty, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey.

Many complications may ensue coronary bypass surgery. Among these complications, early or late dissection of the ascending aorta is a very rare condition. Successful surgery without life-threatening results can save lives. Read More

Heart 2020 Jun;106(12):867-869

Division of Cardiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

Perfusion 2020 May 27:267659120923879. Epub 2020 May 27.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.

Introduction: Cerebral injury is a serious complication in open-heart surgery. Once it occurs, it causes significant disability and death. We developed a novel dispersive aortic cannula named the Stealth Flow cannula and used it as a standard aortic cannula in cardiopulmonary bypass. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2020 Jun 27;9(11):e014981. Epub 2020 May 27.

Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences Queen's University Kingston Ontario, Canada.

Background Thoracic aortic dissections (TADs) and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) are resource intensive. We sought to determine economic burden and healthcare resource use to guide health policy. Methods and Results Using universal healthcare coverage data for Ontario, Canada, from 2003 to 2016, a cost-of-illness analysis was performed. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

Cardiac anesthesia, KIMS, Trivandrum, India.

Aortic injuries are notoriously lethal particularly when associated with concomitant injuries. We describe the evaluation and management of a polytrauma patient with transverse arch transection which was complicated by dissection of both common carotid arteries. He was managed with aortic arch replacement and reimplanatation of innominate and left common carotid arteries with an additional graft from ascending aorta to the right common carotid artery. Read More

Chin Med J (Engl) 2020 May 14. Epub 2020 May 14.

Center of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Aortic Disease Center, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Disease, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.

J Evid Based Med 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.

Objective: The objective of this meta-analysis of observational studies was to evaluate the association between simple renal cysts (SRC) and presence of aortic pathology such as aortic aneurysms and dissection.

Methods: We conducted searches in Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1960 to August 2019 to identify observational studies that examined the association between SRCs and any aortic diseases, including aortic aneurysms and dissection. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. Read More

Heart Lung 2020 May 22. Epub 2020 May 22.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Emergency Medicine and Difficult Diseases Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan province, 410011, China. Electronic address:

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between admission time and in-hospital mortality in acute aortic dissection (AAD) patients.

Methods: The risk factors of in-hospital clinical outcomes were retrospectively evaluated in patients with AAD. All the patients were enrolled from January to December 2017 and were divided into two groups depending on the time of admission: daytime admissions were conducted from 8: 00 to 17: 30 hours whereas, nighttime admissions were from 17: 30 to 8: 00 hours. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2020 May 25;20(1):244. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto Chubu Medical Center, 25, Yagi-Ueno, Yagi-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto, 629-0197, Japan.

Background: Although timely coronary intervention can result in markedly improved clinical outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), non-ST-elevation (NSTE)-ACS is sometimes difficult to accurately diagnose.

Case Presentation: A 52-year-old woman complained of acute chest pain with sudden onset. Both electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography showed normal results, and we urgently needed to make a differential diagnosis among critical illnesses such as acute coronary syndrome and nonischemic cardiovascular life-threatening diseases. Read More

Intern Med 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

Cardiovascular Surgery, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, Japan.

We herein report 3 cases of acute aortic dissection (AAD) in which the initial 12-lead electrocardiogram showed typical ST elevation consistent with acute pericarditis. All patients exhibited small pericardial effusion but did not suffer from rupture into the pericardium or clinical tamponade. Slow leakage or exudate stemming from the dissecting hematoma appeared to have caused inflammation, resulting in pericarditis. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020 May 1. Epub 2020 May 1.

Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Laval University, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address:

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2020 May 25:218492320928731. Epub 2020 May 25.

Biomechanics Laboratory, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery, and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Bicuspid aortic valve is the most common congenital cardiovascular defect, often associated with proximal aortic dilatation, and the ideal management strategy is debated. The inconsistency in previous and present guideline recommendations emphasizes the insufficiency of the maximal diameter as the sole criterion for prophylactic repair. Our ability to guide clinical decisions may improve through an understanding of the mechanical properties of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in bicuspid compared to tricuspid aortic valve patients and non-aneurysmal aortas, because dissection and rupture are aortic wall mechanical failures. Read More

J Card Fail 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Piedmont Heart Institute, Atlanta, GA.

Objective: To demonstrate the safety of ambulation of patients with intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) inserted via the femoral approach.

Setting: One cardiovascular surgical intensive care unit and one cardiac care unit PATIENTS: 70 patients who received a femoral IABP at our institution between December 2015 and June 2019 who met a standardized criterion for ambulation.

Interventions: These patients underwent initial standing trials with a specialty standing bed/tilt table and progressed to standing exercises and ultimately ambulation (defined as covering a distance of at least 10 ft. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Marie Lannelongue Hospital, Le Plessis-Robinson, 133 Avenue de la Résistance Le Plessis-Robinson, 92350, France. Electronic address:

Am J Emerg Med 2020 May 6. Epub 2020 May 6.

Background: Spontaneous celiac artery dissection is a rare visceral artery dissection that typically presents with acute abdominal or flank pain.

Case Report: We describe a case of a 54-year old previously healthy male who presented to the Emergency Department with subacute back pain and was found to have a spontaneous celiac artery dissection. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Emergency medicine physicians frequently consider acute aortic dissection in patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute chest, back, and/or upper abdominal pain. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2020 Jun;71(6):2108-2118

Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.

Objective: Endovascular intervention in uncomplicated type B dissection has not been shown conclusively to confer benefit on patients. The hemodynamic effect of primary entry tear coverage is not known. Endovascular stent grafts were deployed in a model of aortic dissection with multiple fenestrations to study these effects. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 May 20. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore MD. Electronic address:

An anomalous right coronary artery arising from the left coronary sinus is a rare anatomic variant. Here, we report a patient who presented with an acute type A dissection and underwent successful aortic root reconstruction with resuspension of the aortic valve and neomedia creation in the presence of an anomalous right coronary artery with a good clinical outcome. Read More

J Card Surg 2020 May 22. Epub 2020 May 22.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Objectives: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) via partial upper sternotomy (PUS) for aortic root surgery represents an alternative to the full median sternotomy (FMS). PUS offers less operative trauma. We analyzed the midterm outcome of root replacement (Bentall) or valve-sparing root replacement (David) via PUS to evaluate the safety of this access. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 May 19. Epub 2020 May 19.

West Virginia University, Morgantown WV; Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

The Korea Heart Foundation, Seoul, Korea.

Objectives: Endovascular treatment has emerged as a safe procedure for treating chronic DeBakey IIIb dissection. The objective of this study was to investigate the mid-term outcome and temporal pattern of aortic remodelling after endovascular treatment for DeBakey IIIb dissection.

Methods: From 2012 to 2017, 85 patients who underwent endovascular aortic repair for DeBakey IIIb dissection were enrolled. Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2020 Apr 30;8(4):e2776. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saga University School of Medicine, Saga, Japan.

Background: The frequency of sternomyelitis after cardiovascular surgery has been reported to be 0.4% -5%.

Methods: The treatment method used for 47 patients (29 male and 18 female) who developed sternomyelitis after sternotomy with tissue defects in the chest was examined retrospectively. Read More

Occup Environ Med 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UMR INSERM 1027, INSERM - Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.

Objectives: The individual peripheral vascular disease risk factors are well documented, but the role of work conditions remains equivocal. This systematic review aims to assess relationships between lower limb peripheral venous diseases (lower limb varicose veins (LLVV), venous thromboembolism (VTE) comprising deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), peripheral arterial disease (intermittent claudication, aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm) and occupational constraints among working adults.

Methods: Several databases were systematically searched until February 2019 for observational studies and clinical trials. Read More

Rev Port Cardiol 2020 May 18. Epub 2020 May 18.

Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.

Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant connective tissue disease with an estimated incidence of 1 in 5000 individuals. In 90% of cases it is caused by mutations in the gene for fibrillin-1, the main constituent of extracellular microfibrils. Studies on animal models of Marfan syndrome have revealed that fibrillin-1 mutations interfere with local TGF-β signaling, in addition to impairing tissue integrity. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2020 May 10. Epub 2020 May 10.

Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Electronic address:

Objectives: Natural history studies of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) commonly report all-cause mortality. Our aim is to determine cause-specific mortality in TBAD and to evaluate the clinical characteristics associated with aortic and non-aortic-related mortality METHODS: Clinical and administrative records were reviewed for patients with acute TBAD between 1995 and 2017. Demographics, comorbidities, presentation, and initial imaging findings were abstracted. Read More