Partial Thrombosis of the False Lumen in Patients with Acute Type B Aortic Dissection

A cohort of 201 patients with type B acute aortic dissection was classified according to whether the false lumen of the aorta was patent, partially thrombosed, or completely thrombosed. Patients with partial thrombosis had a significantly higher mortality rate at 3 years. In patients with type B acute aortic dissection, those with partial thrombosis had a significantly higher mortality rate at 3 years. Acute aortic dissection is a dangerous condition with high in-hospital and follow-up mortality rates. Dissections confined to the descending aorta (type B) have better in-hospital survival than those involving the ascending aorta (type A). Up to 89% of patients with uncomplicated type B dissections survive to hospital discharge after receiving effective antihypertensive therapy. 1 However, despite a low in-hospital mortality, the short- and long-term prognosis of patients with type B acute aortic dissection after discharge from the hospital is heterogeneous, with reported survival rates ranging from 56 to 92% at 1 year and from 48 to 82% at 5 years. 2 – . . .