ACTUAL ASPECTS OF DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF PATIENTS WITH ASCENDING AORTIC DILATATION

  • E.A. Kochanova Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov. Akademician Lebedeva St., 6, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 194044 https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4725-2635
  • P.A. Mochalov LLC “International Heart Center”. 6 Tverskaya str., Saint Petersburg 191015 Russian Federation
  • M.N. Prokudina LLC “International Heart Center”. 6 Tverskaya str., Saint Petersburg 191015 Russian Federation
  • E.A. Karev LLC “International Heart Center”. 6 Tverskaya str., Saint Petersburg 191015 Russian Federation
  • V.V. Smirnov Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University. 2 Lithuania, Saint Petersburg 194100 Russian Federation
Keywords: ascending aorta dilatation, the thoracic aorta size, echocardiography, multimodality imaging

Abstract

Thе review systematizes modern approaches to the diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of patients with dilation of the ascending thoracic aorta in accordance with current guidelines from international cardiology societies. The issue of inconsistent terminology across various publications, guidelines, and recommendations is discussed. Key aspects of diagnostics based on an analysis of publications in Russian-language (eLibrary) and English-language (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) databases are examined, including criteria for selecting imaging methods and monitoring strategies for patients with ascending thoracic aortic dilatation. Special attention is given to a comparative analysis of the advantages and limitations of echocardiography, multispiral computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging in assessing aortic dimensions. The principles of multimodal imaging, which improve diagnostic accuracy and complication risk prediction, are summarized. Additionally, optimal timing and frequency of dynamic monitoring are analyzed, taking into account individual risk factors. The results of this review may be useful for general practitioners and in personalizing of patient management strategies.

References

Mazzolai L., Teixido-Tura G., Lanzi S., Boc V., Bossone E., Brodmann M., Bura-Rivière A., De Backer J., Deglise S., Della Corte A., Heiss C., Kałużna-Oleksy M., Kurpas D., McEniery C.M., Mirault T., Pasquet A.A., Pitcher A., Schaubroeck H.A.I., Schlager O., Sirnes P.A., Sprynger M.G., Stabile E., Steinbach F., Thielmann M., van Kimmenade R.R.J., Venermo M., Rodriguez-Palomares J.F.; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of peripheral arterial and aortic diseases. Eur Heart J. 2024;45(36):3538-3700. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae179.

Coady M.A., Rizzo J.A., Hammond G.L., Mandapati D., Darr U., Kopf G.S., Elefteriades J.A. What is the appropriate size criterion for resection of thoracic aortic aneurysms? J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1997;113(3):476–491. DOI: 10.1016/S0022-5223(97)70360-X.

Elefteriades J.A., Rizzo J.A. Epidemiology: incidence, prevalence, and Trends. acute aortic disease. In: Elefteriades J.A. Acute Aortic Disease (1st ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2007:117–26.

Ohle R., Yan J.W., Yadav K., Cournoyer A., Sa­vage D.W., Jetty P., Atoui R., Bittira B., Wilson B., Gupta A., Coffey N., Callaway Y., Middaugh J., Ansell D., Rubens F., Bignucolo S.J., Scott T.M., McIsaac S., Lang E. Dia­gnosing acute aortic syndrome: a Canadian clinical practice guideline. Canadian Medical Association journal. 2020;192(29):832–843. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.200021.

Jeremy R.W., Huang H., Hwa J., McCarron H., Hug­hes C.F., Richards J.G. Relation between age, arterial distensibility, and aortic dilatation in the Marfan syndrome. Am J Cardiol. 1994;74(4):369–373. DOI: 10.1016/0002-9149(94)90405-7.

Coady M.A., Davies R.R., Roberts M., Goldstein L.J., Rogalski M.J., Rizzo J.A., Hammond G.L., Kopf G.S., Elefteriades J.A. Familial patterns of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Arch Surg. 1999;134(4):361–367. DOI: 10.1001/archsurg.134.4.361.

Harris K.M., Strauss C.E., Eagle K.A., Hirsch A.T., Isselbacher E.M., Tsai T.T., Shiran H., Fattori R., Evangelista A., Cooper J.V., Montgomery D.G., Froehlich J.B., Nienaber C.A. International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) Investigators. Correlates of delayed recognition and treatment of acute type A aortic dissection: the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD). Circulation. 2011;124(18):1911–1918. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.006320.

Чарчян Э.Р., Брешенков Д.Г., Иртюга О.Б., Абугов С.А., Акчурин Р.С., Алекян Б.Г., Аракелян В.С., Бабакехян М.В., Базылев В.В., Барбухатти К.О., Белов Ю.В., Богачев-Прокофьев А.В., Бокерия Л.А., Ванюркин А.Г., Гапонов Д.П., Гордеев М.Л., Имаев Т.И., Кавтеладзе З.А., Калинин Р.Е., Когай С.В., Козлов Б.Н., Комаров Р.Н., Конради А.О., Лепилин П.М., Малев Э.Г., Мироненко В.А., Панфилов Д.С., Поляков Р.С., Россейкин Е.В., Светликов А.В., Сирота Д.А., Сухоручкин В.А., Сучков И.А., Успенский В.Е., Хафизов Т.Н., Хубулава Г.Г., Чернявский А.М., Чернявский М.А. Клинические рекомендации. Аневризмы грудной и торакоабдоминальной аорты (2025). Доступен по: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/preview-cr/919_1aorta/recommendation.pdf (дата обращения: 15.07.2025).

Charchyan E`.R., Breshenkov D.G.,Irtyuga O.B., Abugov S.A.,Akchurin R.S., Alekyan B.G., Arakelyan V.S., Babakexyan M.V., Bazy`lev V.V., Barbuxatti K.O., Belov Yu.V., Bogachev-Prokof`ev A.V., Bokeriya L.A., Vanyurkin A.G., Gaponov D.P., Gordeev M.L., Imaev T.I., Kavteladze Z.A., Kalinin R.E., Kogaj S.V., Kozlov B.N., Komarov R.N., Konradi A.O., Lepilin P.M., Malev E.G., Mironenko V.A., Panfilov D.S., Polyakov R.S., Rossej­kin E.V., Svetlikov A.V., Sirota D.A., Suxoruchkin V.A., Suchkov I.A., Uspenskij V.E., Xafizov T.N., Xubulava G.G., Chernyavskij A.M., Chernyavskij M.A. Clinical guidelines. Aneurysms of the thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta (2025). Available at: https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/preview-cr/919_1 (accessed: 15.07.2025). (In Russian).

Evangelista A., Sitges M., Jondeau G., Nijveldt R., Pepi M., Cuellar H., Pontone G., Bossone E., Groe­nink M., Dweck M.R., Roos-Hesselink J.W., Mazzolai L., van Kimmenade R., Aboyans V., Rodríguez-Palomares J. Multimodality imaging in thoracic aortic diseases: a cli­nical consensus statement from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the European Society of Cardiology working group on aorta and peripheral vascular diseases. Eur Heart J. Cardiovascular Imaging. 2023;24(5):65–85. DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/jead024.

IIsselbacher E.M., Preventza O., Hamilton Black J. 3rd, Augoustides J.G., Beck A.W., Bolen M.A., Braverman A.C., Bray B.E., Brown-Zimmerman M.M., Chen E.P., Collins T.J., DeAnda A Jr, Fanola C.L., Girardi L.N., Hicks C.W., Hui D.S., Schuyler Jones W., Kalahasti V., Kim K.M., Milewicz D.M., Oderich G.S., Ogbechie L., Promes S.B., Gyang Ross E., Schermerhorn M.L., Singleton Times S., Tseng E.E., Wang G.J., Woo Y.J. Peer Review Committee Members. 2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the diagnosis and management of aortic disease: a report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2022;146(24):334–482. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001106.

Paruchuri V., Salhab K.F., Kuzmik G., Gubernikoff G., Fang H., Rizzo J.A., Ziganshin B.A., Elefteriades J.A. Aortic size distribution in the general population: explaining the size paradox in aortic dissection. Cardiology. 2015;131(4):265–272. DOI:10.1159/000381281.

Mori M., Bin Mahmood S.U., Yousef S., Shioda K., Faggion Vinholo T., Mangi A.A., Elefteriades J.A., Geirsson A. Prevalence of incidentally identified thoracic aortic dilations: Insights for screening criteria. The Canadian journal of cardiology. 2019;35(7):892–898. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2019.03.023.

Agarwal P.P., Chughtai A., Matzinger F.R., Kazero­oni E.A. Multidetector CT of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Radiographics. 2009;29(2):537–552. DOI: 10.1148/rg.292075080.

Burman E.D., Keegan J., Kilner P.J. Aortic root measurement by cardiovascular magnetic resonance: spe­cification of planes and lines of measurement and corresponding normal values. Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging. 2008;1(2):104–113. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.108.768911.

Elefteriades J.A. Natural history of thoracic aortic aneurysms: indications for surgery, and surgical versus nonsurgical risks. Ann Thorac Surg. 2002;74(5):1877–1880. DOI: 10.1016/s0003-4975(02)04147-4.

Ohyama Y., Redheuil A., Kachenoura N., Ambale Venkatesh B., Lima J.A.C. Imaging insights on the aorta in aging. Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging. 2018;11(4):005617. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.117.005617.

Lang R.M., Badano L.P., Mor-Avi V., Afilalo J., Armstrong A., Ernande L., Flachskampf F.A., Foster E., Goldstein S.A., Kuznetsova T., Lancellotti P., Muraru D., Picard M.H., Rietzschel E.R., Rudski L., Spencer K.T., Tsang W., Voigt J.U. Recommendations for cardiac chamber quantification by echocardiography in adults: an update from the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography: official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2015;28(1):1–39. DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2014.10.003.

Rodríguez-Palomares J.F., Teixidó-Tura G., Galuppo V., Cuéllar H., Laynez A., Gutiérrez L., González-Alujas M.T., García-Dorado D., Evangelista A. Multimodality Assessment of Ascending Aortic Diameters: Comparison of Different Measurement Methods. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography: official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2016;29(9):819–826.e4. DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2016.04.006.

Davies R.R., Gallo A., Coady M.A., Tellides G., Botta D.M., Burke B., Coe M.P., Kopf G.S., Elefteriades J.A. Novel measurement of relative aortic size predicts rupture of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Ann Thorac Surg. 2006;81(1):169–177. DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2005.06.026.

Obel L.M., Lindholt J.S., Leetmaa T.H., Dahl J.S., Møller J.E., Steffensen F.H., Frost L., Lambrechtsen J., Busk M., Urbonaviciene G., Egstrup K., Karon M., Gerke O., Diederichsen A.C.P. Individual, expected dia­meters of the ascending aorta and prevalence of dilations in a study-population aged 60-74 years: a DANCAVAS substudy. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2021;37(3):971–980. DOI: 10.1007/s10554-020-02081-3.

Choudhury N., Bouchot O., Rouleau L., Tremblay D., Car­tier R., Butany J., Mongrain R., Leask R.L. Local mechanical and structural properties of healthy and diseased human ascending aorta tissue. Cardiovascular pathology: the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology. 2009;18(2):83–91. DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2008.01.001.

Карев Е.А., Вербило С.Л., Малев Э.Г., Прокудина М.Н., Мочалов П.А., Боброва Е.А., Малинина Н.П., Козленок А.В. Количественная ультразвуковая оценка показателей деформации миокарда: от теории к практике. Трансляционная медицина. 2020;7(6):16–28. DOI: 10.18705/2311-4495-2020-7-6-16-28.

Karev E.A., Verbilo S.L., Malev E.G., Prokudina M.N., Mochalov P.A., Bobrova E.A., Malinina N.P., Kozlenok A.V. Quantitative ultrasound assessment of myocardial deformation indices: from theory to practice. Translyatsionnaya meditsina. 2020;7(6):16–28. (In Russian). DOI: 10.18705/2311-4495-2020-7-6-16-28.

Rong L.Q., Kim J., Gregory A.J. Speckle tracking echocardiography: imaging insights into the aorta. Current opinion in cardiology. 2020;35(2):116–122. DOI: 10.1097/HCO.0000000000000706.

Bieseviciene M., Vaskelyte J.J., Mizariene V., Karaliute R., Lesauskaite V., Verseckaite R. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography for evalua­tion of dilative ascending aorta biomechanics. BMC Cardiovasc Di­sord. 2017;17(1):27. DOI: 10.1186/s12872-016-0434-9.

Potthast S., Mitsumori L., Stanescu L.A., Richardson M.L., Branch K., Dubinsky T.J., Maki J.H. Measuring aortic diameter with different MR techniques: comparison of three-dimensional (3D) navigated steady-state free-precession (SSFP), 3D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA), 2D T2 black blood, and 2D cine SSFP. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2010;31(1):177–84. DOI: 10.1002/jmri.22016.

Published
2025-08-25
How to Cite
Kochanova, E., Mochalov, P., Prokudina, M., Karev, E., & Smirnov, V. (2025). ACTUAL ASPECTS OF DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF PATIENTS WITH ASCENDING AORTIC DILATATION. Medicine: Theory and Practice, 10(2), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.56871/MTP.2025.10.27.005
Section
REVIEWS