Acute Type B Aortic Dissection With Communicating vs. Non-Communicating False Lumen: Analysis of 502 Patients From the Tokyo CCU-Network Database

Background:In practice, patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) are generally divided into 2 groups according to the status of the false lumen: non-communicating or communicating. The similarities and differences between the 2 groups, however, have not been fully determined in a large population.Methods and Results:We studied 502 patients with Stanford type B AAD. Clinical background at symptom onset was compared, and similarities and differences characterized, for patients with non-communicating (NC group, n=288) vs. communicating (C group, n=214) false lumens. Time of day (00.00–06.00 hours, 06.00–12.00 hours, 12.00–18.00 hours, and 18.00–24.00 hours) and extent of physical activity (extreme exertion, slight exertion, at rest, and sleeping) at symptom onset were similar between groups. Patients in the NC group were older (mean age, 71±11 years vs. 64±14 years, P